TriSpirit (revised edition)
by SilentN
Summary: Did you want a good summary for this story? Too bad! I couldn't think of any! (And you can just blame Waluigi for that! ...Not that he has anything to do with it, but hey, you can still blame him anyway, right?)
1. 1-1 Legends of Old

**Disclaimer:** While this should be totally obvious, especially since this is specifically called a "fan-fiction", but in accordance with the rules of copyright, I am required to say; The Legend of Zelda and its characters are the property of Nintendo. This story is a fan-made, non-canon, and non-profit tribute to the series created solely for entertainment purposes only. All that I own is this fan-story and any original characters in it. I possess no copyrights to the Legend of Zelda series whatsoever. If I did, I would be making this story into an actual game and/or TV series, but alas I don't. Therefore, a mere fan-fiction will have to do. No copyright violations intended. Please support Nintendo's official work.

* * *

~SilentN

 **The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit  
** _Episode 1: The Prologue_

 _Of great heroes, many legends are born...but no hero is born great. Every legend has a beginning, and so do the very heroes they tell of. This is the story of a boy... A boy who would become one of three great heroes of legend._

* * *

 **Important Note:** _The story you are about to read is a **remake** of a previous attempt. Writing this story was, in fact, the reason I had joined FanFiction in the first place, but unfortunately, Breath of the Wild's story had ended up creating a number of contradictions to this one upon being released, and so I had decided to revise TriSpirit to fix up the new plot-holes that BotW had created for it, as well as to add a number of new ideas that I had gotten after playing the game._

 _For those of you who had been following the_ _ **original edition;**_ _you will find that there are a **number of changes** to this revised version of TriSpirit, but I know that some of you might not want to spend your time rereading all this again just for a few minor changes if you have already read the original version. So for your convenience, I will include in each chapter's **Author's Notes** section a brief explanation about what has changed so that you can be informed of any significant differences without having to go through the hassle of reading all over again if you don't want to. __These sort of Author's Notes will be underlined so that you can recognize them right away._

 _For those of you who are_ _ **new to this series;**_ _feel free to ignore the underlined Author's Notes at the bottom of each chapter if you wish, as those ones only really matter to those who have read the_ _original edition._ _The Author's Notes that will mean anything to new readers will NOT be underlined, so those are the only ones worth the read for you, but of course, you are also welcome to read the underlined ones if you do find interest in them anyway. It's all up to you._

 _You can also follow this story on **DeviantArt** where images and background music are provided for a more enriched reading experience. Artwork related to this fanfic is also available using the hashtag; " **#lozTriSpirit** " on DeviantArt, Google+, and Twitter. (I also have plans to eventually post to YouTube as well)_

* * *

 **Chapter 1  
** _Legends of Old_

This is a legend passed on in Hyrule:

 _Long ago, the world fell into a state of destruction and despair. A chasm had opened in the earth, and from it, the demon king Demise arose and mercilessly swept unspeakable terror across the land._

 _Countless innocents were brutally slaughtered, blood from every race was spilled in his wake, and all hope for peace seemed like but a futile wish fit for a fool._

 _Demise sought the sacred triangles that housed the golden power of the gods. With it, he could spread his reign across all living things, ruling and worshiped as this world's most powerful being. None could stand in his way once that power would be his._

 _But his evil plans were not to succeed..._

 _Hearing the cries of her beloved people on the surface, the goddess Hylia had intervened, protecting all who called upon her from Demise's threat, and granted power to a valiant mortal whom she chose to be the hero that would lead the people to victory._

 _Demise was sealed away, and the people of Hylia were given a place of refuge in the sky, where they would live in peace and safety for hundreds of years before Demise would eventually return and Hylia's chosen one would be reborn to finish what was started._

 _The time inevitably came when Demise's servant would succeed in bringing about his master's resurrection._

 _But after undergoing many trails, Hylia's chosen hero reborn had once again thwarted the demon-king, this time for good._

 _Demise was slain, and his spirit sealed away, but with his last breath, he had sworn this curse on the world to follow the hero's bloodline; an incarnation of the demon king's hateful spirit would unceasingly rage war against the people of Hylia, preventing the land from ever knowing lasting peace._

 _Centuries had passed. The people of Hylia now once again inhabited the world beneath the clouds, founding the land of Hyrule, where they would enjoy a life of prosperity and peace._

 _But it is said that if Demise's spirit should ever be released from its imprisonment, the curse he swore upon the world will come into effect..._

* * *

"Well, isn't that an interesting variation of the legend?" asks Professor Flat to his brother Sharp as he finishes reading the passage out of an old book he had borrowed from Hyrule Castle's library. "Most modern versions of the tale always close it with the typical happy-ending, where everything is peaceful and settled in the end, but according to this older version, the demon king's spirit is merely sealed away, but still holds a potential threat to the world, and it even mentions a curse that could supposedly take effect if that hateful spirit should ever be freed. I've never heard the legend told like that before, but apparently this version was once the common telling of the tale, back in the day."

Sharp looks over the pages with intrigue. "It does leave the reader with a desire to hear more," he remarks. "I don't suppose you've also come across a continuation of this take on the story, have you?"

 **"** No," Flat answers. "I've found nothing more so far. But it certainly does intrigue me. Perhaps a sequel once existed that has been lost to modern audiences?"

"Well, some do believe that the legend may have been based on a true story," Sharp notes. "There has even been what some believe to be possible evidence that the fabled _'place of refuge in the sky_ ' may have really existed. We still cannot confirm nor deny the possibility that the legend could be an actual event from Hyrule's ancient history and not just the fairy-tale that it is often taken for... If so, a ' _sequel'_ could only be written if any further events were to take place in true history following where this story ends..."

With a disturbing realization dawning, Flat looks to his brother in mild concern. His expression has taken a more serious tone. "You don't think it's actually possible that the spirit of some demon king really is sealed away somewhere, do you? And that it's just been waiting throughout all of Hyrule's history for an opportunity to escape and wreak havoc on the world? Possibly even to this day?"

"That is indeed a disturbing thought," Sharp says, still looking over the pages of the book. "And if it were so, I should think that such a threat would have great precautions taken against it to ensure that it never comes to be, and so it wouldn't soon be forgotten. But then again, I suppose that whoever might be responsible for guarding against such a threat would likely prefer to keep all knowledge of it a secret to everybody to avoid the risk of anyone attempting to toy with what they shouldn't and unleash disaster. So it'd make sense that any mentioning of the demon king's spirit living on would be omitted from the tale to avoid arousing dangerous curiosity in later generations... Who knows?"

"We may just be looking too much into this, but what if that really was the case?" Flat asks. "What if the demon king were to be released from this supposed imprisonment today? Could he possibly come back and bring the same destructive rampage described in the book onto modern Hyrule?"

"Anything is possible", Sharp replies as he puts the book down. "But if no such thing has happened by now after all these centuries, then I doubt we'd ever have to worry about anything like that. It's still just a legend."

"That's true, but it definitely has me wanting to know more," states Flat as he picks the book up into his own hands again. "I'm going to keep researching and see what else I can find. I might even ask the village elders if they know anything about it when I'm in Kakariko next week."

"That reminds me... Princess Zelda's birthday celebration is coming up fast, and all of the kingdom is welcome to attend. It's not too late for you to reschedule your trip to Kakariko, you know. After all, this is a pretty big day for our princess. Are you sure you want to miss it?"

"It's fine. Castle Town will be busy and bustling with visitors then. I'd much rather be out of town during all that ruckus anyway. Do give the princess my regards though."

Just then, there is a gentle knock at the door.

 _*Knock knock*_

Sharp answers it. He is met by a familiar young boy, about 17 years of age, with light-brown hair, blue eyes, and the signature pointed ears of the people of Hylia. The lad carries a basket of eggs in his hands and has a small cart loaded with produce from a farm parked beside him, although it is nearly empty by now, suggesting that his deliveries are nearing completion for the day.

"Well, hello there Link!" Sharp greets the boy. "Are you and your grandmother keeping well?"

The boy answers quietly; "Yes, thanks... I'm here with your egg-delivery..."

"Well, thank you." Sharp says as he receives his egg delivery and reaches into his wallet"And here are your rupees, young sir."

Link receives his payment and bows his head in response, staying quiet but still polite.

This is a typical reply from Link, as he is not much of a talker. He tends to use words as little as possible and would rather reply with simple gestures like this when he can.

Sharp, however, continues to make small conversation with the quiet lad; "So I hear you're back in swordsman-training again, are you? Is the great Agias Pent still your trainer?"

Link nods wordlessly. Still as quiet as ever.

"I see," Sharp continues. "You're quite lucky to be mentored by such a legendary swordsman. I hear he's a tough teacher, but his exploits from his former days as a dragon-slayer are still often talked about across all of Hyrule. I'm sure you're learning a lot under him. On your way to the castle courtyards for training now, are you?"

"Yes," Link answers simply. "Right after I've finished just a few more deliveries around town..."

"Well, I wish you best of luck in your training! Just take care not to push yourself too hard. You wouldn't want to suffer another injury now."

"I will, thanks..."

Link gives another bow of his head and turns to leave. Sharp returns to his conversation with his visiting brother while getting a pot ready to begin cooking breakfast. "I'm about to start an omelet," he says to Flat. "Have you eaten yet? You are welcome to join me for breakfast while you're here."

"No thank you," Flat declines. "I already ate and will be heading back on my way soon."

"Very well. I'll just get my cooking pot started for myself then."

"So anyway, who's the boy?" Flat asks, growing mildly curious about the shy lad.

"Oh, that's Link," Sharp explains. "He comes by every other day to deliver eggs. You know Linda, don't you? The old widow who owns a small cucco farm just outside of the southern end of town? That's her grandson."

"Ah, Linda's grandson. I see. ...Kind of shy, isn't he?"

"He is that. Hardly speaks a word, that boy. But he's a good kid. He certainly works hard to keep the farm up and running and takes good care of his grandmother."

"Say, I heard you mention something about _avoiding another injury._ Did something happen previously?"

"Yes, this is his second attempt at swordsmanship. He had started training under Sir Pent about a year ago, but unfortunately, had injured his hand and had to drop out very early in the year. I understand one of his fellow trainees had gotten excited when Princess Zelda had happened to walk by the courtyard where they were training and grew recklessly competitive hoping to catch her attention, which resulted in him hurting poor Link's hand in the excitement. You know how teenage boys are these days..."

"Yes, they do tend to get awfully rambunctious around young girls..." remarks Flat, shaking his head. "Especially when the girl is the princess. It seems to be the dream of just about every young knight-in-training to woo the princess and win her affections...as well as a place in the Royal Family."

"It sure does," Sharp says with an amused chuckle. "And then they all grumble in envy when the king arranges for her to marry an actual prince, like she was always planned to, before they ever get their long-shot-of-a-chance that they had so vainly hoped for."

Flat bursts into brief laughter. "And isn't that just the way it always goes! It's quite amazing just how many young swordsmen are so hotheaded to really believe that they will be the one to win the king's favor, capture the princess's heart, and win her hand in marriage like some sort of fairy-tale. You don't suppose this is what that Link has in mind, do you?"

"I doubt Link would be interested in that sort of thing. Given how shy he is, he'd probably consider that kind of attention to be the worst thing possible!" Sharp mildly chuckles in amusement again at the thought _._ "No, I think Link's only intention in swordsmanship is mainly just to serve his country and protect his grandmother. Especially with these increasing rates of monster sightings we've been hearing about lately. You can't be too careful these days."

"Yes, the reports of monsters have been growing ever worrisome as of late..." Flat remarks, taking a more serious tone as he begins to contemplate. "It is strange though; how monsters suddenly seem to be spawning at such an alarming rate after so long of tranquility... For as long as I can remember, monster sightings in Hyrule had always been pretty infrequent, and yet the rates of monster-attacks have increased so rapidly almost overnight. It's almost as if they all came together and planned to station in Hyrule at once!"

"Some suspect that may be the case..." notes Sharp grimly. "There have been rumors of a secret society in operation that makes use of monsters. Of course, it's still just a rumor with no concrete evidence. But whatever the cause of their sudden numbers, there doesn't appear to be much that can be done other then just staying vigilant and keeping in numbers yourself when venturing out of town. I sure hope you don't plan on making your trip to Kakariko alone..."

"Don't worry about me," Flat reassures his brother. "It's only a short trip, and I'm always armed with our people's ancestral magic. No monsters should be able to detect me, and even if they do, _they'll_ be the ones in far more danger then I would be."

"I just hope your not overestimating yourself..." Sharp says sternly while readying his eggs for breakfast. "Carelessness can be one's own worst enemy."

Immediately after saying this this, Sharp accidentally drops an egg on the ground.

Splattering it.

 _*Splat!*_

There is an awkward moment of silence.

"...See what I mean?"

* * *

Continuing the last of his deliveries around town, Link waits quietly as one of his less trusting and more stingy customers, Mamamu Yan, carefully inspects the eggs and vegetables he delivered.

"Hmm..." she mutters with suspicion. "Well, I don't seem to see any visible damage... _this_ time... _Humph!_ Fine. I'll get my purse. But I'll have you know it certainly is disappointing to my faith in humanity knowing that such a close inspection is even necessary with every purchase I make. You would _think_ that someone who's been delivering eggs for so long could be trusted never to break them!"

Although growing rather vexed by these deprecating remarks, Link patiently holds his tongue. He remains silent and takes the belittlement without a word of defensiveness.

Mamamu Yan heads back into her house to collect her purse and bring her delivery in. Her little dog, by the name of Richard, steps out and begins barking at the young farmboy by the doorway.

Link bends down to let Richard sniff his hand. The barking dog quickly calms down for him and happily allows himself to be pat on the head.

Mamamu Yan steps back out with her purse in hand. She gives Link a scornful look upon seeing him touching her prized dog without her permission. "*Ahem* I _hope_ your hands are clean if you're allowing them to make contact with my precious Richard..."

Aware that the dog is likely much filthier than his own hand could possibly be, but not wishing to upset Mamamu Yan any further, Link immediately quits petting Richard and straightens up. Richard looks up at him with disappointment for having stopped so soon.

" _Humph!_ It looks like I may have to keep an even closer eye on you than I had thought..." Mamamu Yan rudely remarks as she retrieves the rupees from her purse. "Here you are. Now be on your way. I haven't the time for any further disruption from the likes of you."

Upon accepting the rupees, Link gives a polite bow of his head (which may be a far more gracious gesture than Mamamu Yan really deserves) before turning to leave. _Mamamu Yan is not an easy customer to please._

Although she is quite wealthy, she tends to be very stingy about money and is always out for any excuse she can find to avoid having to pay. And no matter how kind or generous Link tries to be, she still always acts as if he is cheating her or going to try and harm or steal that dog of hers. But after a recent incident involving cracked eggs, she has treated Link all the more coldly.

Fortunately, Mamamu Yan was his last customer for today. After a quick stop at the marketplace to drop off his remaining produce, Link heads to Hyrule Castle for swordsman training.

Arriving at the castle and parking his emptied farmer's cart safely nearby, he enters the outer courtyard where training is held and is immediately greeted by his fellow trainees in the usual way.

Which is not a friendly greeting.

Far from it.

As he walks through the main entrance, his legs are no sooner met by the hilt of a spear placed deliberately between them.

He trips, falling face-forward into the ground.

 _*Thud!*_

An all-too-familiar voice taunts him as the other trainees laugh on;

"Did you have a nice trip, wimp?"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I have FINALLY gotten TriSpirit back up and streaming again! I have officially deleted the original edition now (which is a real shame, as it had 27 favs and 31 follows...) so you won't be seeing it around here anymore, but I've been taking your reviews into careful consideration when writing this revised edition. I hope you'll find the results to be a good improvement.**

 **Now as for the changes made to this first chapter from the original edition; there is a brief extension to this first scene, which involves Link being given a hard time from a stingy customer, but the only other difference worth mentioning in this first chapter outside of that moment is that Link's grandmother now has her name revealed from the start instead of waiting for Chapter 30 like in the original version. (The only reason her name was revealed so late previously is simply because it had taken me that long to decide to even give her a name of her own in the first place. Ha ha)**

 **Now for those who are new to this story: you may be wondering why Link is being described as shy instead of bold when courage is supposed to be his strong point. Now, I know Link is usually depicted as courageous from the start, but I thought it would be more interesting for him to start of timid and shy, and then gradually find his courage as the story goes on. So that's how he'll play out in this tale.**

 **Anyway, sorry about having to include such a long author's note. Future chapters should hopefully not require such long ones like this. Reviews are welcome (especially if you are a returning reader from the original edition, as I'd like to hear you thoughts on the revision), whether you want to offer constructive criticism, point out a typo that I need to fix, or just comment about your favorite line or moment in a chapter, I'm always glad for the feedback. But I do respectfully ask that you please refrain from using profanity or making vulgar remarks. Thank you.**


	2. 1-2 The One-Armed Legend

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 1: The Prologue_

 **Chapter 2** **  
** _The One-Armed Legend_

"Did you have a nice trip, wimp?" taunts an all-too-familiar voice as the other trainees laugh on.

Link looks up from the ground to see Volker, an elite trainee and the son of the trainer, towering arrogantly above him.

With contempt and arrogance filling his green eyes, Volker looks down on the smaller trainee. Long locks of auburn hair hang beyond his shoulders. A wrathful smirk is displayed on his face. Link's torment is Volker's delight.

Link says nothing. He only attempts to get back to his feet.

Volker allows it not. He pins Link to the ground with his foot. "What's the matter?" he taunts. "Too weak to even get up?"

A number of comeback-lines run through Link's head, but he uses them not. There is no point in provoking Volker. "Will you please let me get up..?" is all he says.

"Ha ha! What a wimp!" Volker laughs. "Even after I trashed your cart full of eggs last week, you _still_ haven't learned to fight back! Some warrior _you_ are!" He kicks Link with a painful scrape of his boot before finally releasing him from the ground. "Face it, wimp! If you can't man up, you shouldn't even _be_ here! My pops started this swordsmen-course to train men into knights... _Real_ men. But if you're gonna be such a wimp, you should just quit! You're an insult to my dad's duty and honor!"

"Whatever, Volker..." the young farmboy retorts, unwilling to grant Volker the senseless fight the latter so desires. "I'm not looking for any trouble, okay..?"

"' _Not looking for any trouble_ '?! Ha!" scoffs Volker. "I sure wouldn't have guessed that after all the trouble you got _me_ into last year! I got reprimanded in front of the princess because of you! You're so lame you made me look bad for being so good!"

"That wasn't _my_ fault..." Link reminds him. "Besides, I ended up with a broken hand and had to miss out on swordsman-training for the rest of the year because of you... Don't you think your problem seems trivial compared to mine..?"

Volker grows offended. "What, are you saying it's all _MY_ fault then?!"

Link is hesitant to answer.

The honest answer to that would obviously be ' _yes'_ , but Link knows better than to say anything that would get Volker mad.

 _Especially_ if it is true.

Fortunately the moment is interrupted;

"Enough!" commands the trainer and Volker's father: the legendary Sir Agias Pent. "Any fighting done in this courtyard is to be done with swords, not noisy bickering!"

All trainees stand in respect as Sir Pent approaches. None dare to stand out of line in his presence.

He is widely known and respected for his former days as a legendary dragon-slayer. He stands at a height of 6'2" and always walks with authority in his every stride. He consistently bears a stern and serious countenance and rarely, if ever, displays much emotion.

In his right hand, he carries his magical blade ornamented with a mystical sapphire; the same blade he once used to fight his numerous battles in the past.

In his left hand is... Well, nothing...

There is no left hand.

His entire shield-arm had been bitten off by a dragon during his final battle which ended his career as a slayer. It was because of this disfigurement that he had to retire from his dragon-slaying days. He can no longer fight such battles and now requires much assistance in his daily activities. But he has still remained a well-respected knight of honor in Hyrule's royal guard nonetheless.

Making the most of his retirement, he has been training swordsmen of every age, social status, and level of experience, into knights at Hyrule Castle's courtyard ever since. Even with only one arm, his swordsmanship has remained very formidable.

He had learned countless spells and hidden skills during his past travels, and is one of few swordsmen ever to have mastered the legendary Hurricane Spin attack. He is known for being a tough teacher, but his students learn a lot under him, and he has plenty to teach even to the most skilled and accomplished of warriors. Link had joined this training course specifically to be mentored by him.

Little did the young trainee know that Sir Pent's own son was going to be such a vexatious headache constantly trying to make training difficult for rookies such as himself at every turn...

"Just lecturing Link here about showing better respect, Pops," Volker says arrogantly. "You know how much I can't stand seeing some unappreciative punk making trouble in your swordsman-class."

Link remains silent. He only looks to Volker with an annoyed glare.

Sir Pent seems unconcerned of the situation. "Well, put it aside for now. I have news for everyone here."

All trainees listen attentively. Any words from the great Agias Pent are never to be ignored.

"As I'm sure you are all aware," he begins; "Princess Zelda will be celebrating her 18th birthday next week, and she has decided to open Hyrule Castle to the public that day so that even commoners may attend her coming-of-age ceremony. King Roark, of course, is concerned about having so many unknown guests arriving freely at the castle, especially when most of our honored knights will be off-duty that day to participate in the celebration, and so he has asked that the remaining Royal Guard be temporarily doubled for that day. He has ordered that I recruit every able-bodied swordsman to serve as lesser-guards to assist in supervising the celebration. I will shorten your usual training for today and have all of you who can make it register after training for the temporary Royal Guard. We will spend some time throughout this following week preparing you for your civic duties that will take place on that upcoming day."

Volker is pleased by the news. "So, we're going to be guarding the princess, eh?" he says with a proud flick of his long locks of hair. "Nothing I can't handle."

"Not likely," Sir Pent says bluntly. "I am sure that such greater duties will be entrusted only to our established, more experienced soldiers who have already been serving the Royal Guard for some time. Recruits such as yourselves will merely be given lesser tasks, such as watching the gates or giving directions to the lower guests."

"Oh, right..."

"But as an established knight myself, I do have special duties to ask of you, my son. We shall go over them later when the others are dismissed." Pent pauses briefly and gives his son a stern and serious look. His glare rivaling that of the many dragons' he used to hunt. "Just make sure you don't take your task lightly..." he warns strictly.

"No problem!" Volker replies with confidence. "How hard can it be?"

Sir Pent turns his attention back to the rest of his students and continues; "Now, we have not overlooked the fact that there will also be a sparring tournament held in the courtyard at 3:00 on that day. And so if any of you have plans to participate, you will have to inform me upfront when registering for the recruitment to avoid overlapping schedules. And if there is anything else that might detain you at certain hours, you must make note of that too if you hope to be granted leave from guard-duty at that specific time. There will be no excuses accepted for taking leave after your work hours have already been assigned. Now if anyone has any further questions, we can go over them later, but for now we shall get back to swordsman-training. If we shall be cutting training short today, then we had best start it sooner rather than later."

With this, everyone salutes, picks out their training-swords, and proceeds to their training warm-ups.

There are a total of twelve trainees in this class. They are as follow;

 _Link is the most looked down upon of the group. Standing only 5'2", he is easily the shortest student, as well as the only left-handed one, and is constantly bullied by his fellow trainees for his supposed inferiority among them._

 _Bruce stands 6'0", and has black hair with long bangs that nearly cover his eyes. He is physically strong but also slow on his feet and horribly dimwitted._

 _Chuck stands 5'10", has light-brown hair, and tends to be more relaxed than most of the others of the group. He can be quite egotistical, however, and is not above mocking others, despite how much he hates to be mocked himself._

 _Sven stands 5'9", has blond hair and a little bit of a mustache. He often complains about trivial things but does not take action to solve them, and tends to pout like a big baby when upset about something._

 _Olaf and Otis are brothers, both standing 5'5" and are fairly overweight (especially Olaf). They have black hair and similar hairstyles (the main difference being that Otis' sideburns are longer), and both tend to be quite lazy and gluttonous._

 _Bart stands 5'7", has brown hair and a small beard. He is very defiant and constantly makes fun of Link's timidity, often referring to him as a 'chicken'. However, it is worth noting that no one has ever seen Bart display any bravery of his own, although he claims to have a lot of it._

 _Cliff is a much more competent student, stands 5'11", has long, dark-brown hair, thick eyebrows, and tends to be very rough. He does not speak much, but one glare from him is enough to make most others cower before him without him needing to say a single word._

 _Drew and Davis are another set of brothers, standing 5'8" and 5'9" respectively, and both have dusty-blond hair (Davis' being slightly darker than Drew's). They are both skilled students and tend to be competitive, especially towards each other, and are not ones to mind the rules._

 _Torn stands 5'10" and has red hair, including more facial-hair than most of the others. He is a fierce fighter with a hot temper and is not shy about demonstrating either of these traits._

 _And of course, there is Volker Pent; standing 6'1", has long locks of auburn hair that he tends to like to swing around with a turn of his head whenever he is showing off his attitude (which is often), a small but thick patch of hair on his pointed chin, and a muscular physique to accompany his height._

 _Being the top-student and Sir Pent's own son has gained Volker a lot of popularity, and combining this with his domineering personality, his fellow trainees tend to look up to him as sort a of leader to the group. And so whenever Volker approves of anyone or anything, then so do they, and whenever he chooses to exclude or mistreat someone, then they do likewise._

 _Which makes things quite unfortunate for those on his personal blacklist like Link..._

As Link heads to his place in the training grounds, he is tripped again by Volker.

 _*Thud!*_

"Looks like you and the ground are just inseparable, ain't ya?" the latter cruelly taunts. "Since you're so attached to it, why don't you _marry_ it! After all, you and the dirt have _so much_ in common, it's obvious you're meant for each other!"

The other trainees laugh and add similar insults;

"Yeah, Link! It's not like a wimp like _you_ could ever get a girl anyway!"

"Hey Link! Mind if I walk on your _bride?!_ "

"Are you guys sure Link marrying the dirt is even legit? After all...they might be _related!_ I do see a resemblance!"

Link lets out a sigh and quietly gets back to his feet. It appears that the main thing he will need to be on guard against on the day of working under the Royal Guard will be the tricks of his fellow recruits...

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!** **So for those who had read the previous version of this story, you may** **notice that** **one of Sir Pent's students has been renamed from "Damian" to "Cliff". The reason for this name change was just to avoid confusion with two of the other students, Drew and Davis, whose names also start with a D, as I wanted to make sure he wouldn't be mistaken for one of the bothers.**

 **Aside from that, the only other noteworthy change to this chapter is that there is now a brief mentioning of an upcoming swordsmen-tournament to be held on the day of Zelda's ceremony. The next chapter, however, is going to be new, so stay tuned!**

 **Now, for those who are reading this for the first time; here's some trivia regarding Sir Pent: as some of you may have noticed; his name is a pun of the word "serpent", referring to the fact that he used to be a dragon-slayer (and perhaps also as a little bit of a cruel joke about how he is lacking one of his arms... Because, you know; serpents don't have arms). But as for those other students of his whom Link trains with; their names were all just selected at random. I was too lazy to bother coming up with meaningful names for any of them. Ha ha**


	3. 1-3 Swordsman-Training

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 1: The Prologue_

 **Chapter 3** _  
_ _Swordsman-Training_

The sound of wooden swords clashing rings out through Hyrule Castle's outer courtyard as twelve young swordsmen practice their swings against the wooden dummies used for training. Sir Pent takes a moment to call each one of them aside one-by-one for individual tutoring; going over their stances, having them exercise specific techniques, and critiquing their performance.

Standing at a safe distance from the other trainees, Link practices his sword combos against his training-dummy while Sir Pent goes over the routine training exercises with Olaf nearby.

"Fatal blow!" orders Pent.

Olaf lunges forward with his sword and strikes the ground in a stabbing motion.

"Mortal draw!"

Sheathing his training-sword, Olaf takes an open stance meant to draw an unsuspecting opponent in to strike. He then draws his sword and attempts to swing it around in a quick and sudden movement that would catch an opponent off guard and land a mortal blow as they come in close.

But he unfortunately messes it up and his sword is instead sent flying towards a nearby jug and smashes it.

 _*Crash!*_

Sir Pent gives him a glare.

Olaf responds with a nervous grin. "Um. Heh, heh... Whoops..."

"...Pathetic," Pent scoffs.

The other trainees begin to laugh. Sir Pent quickly silences them with a mere motion of his hand. He is not one to tolerate fooling around in his class. He continues to move on in the lesson with Olaf regardless of the incident. This next exercise will not require a sword anyhow.

"Now...shield parry!"

Pent raises his sword and projects a weak magic attack from the tip, one not strong enough to do any serious damage if it hits, to send flying at Olaf. Olaf blocks it with his shield, causing the magic energy to burst.

Sir Pent scolds him; "I said _parry!_ Not block! Now try it again...but this time; send it back to me with a _parry!"_

He projects another magic attack towards Olaf. Olaf quickly swings his shield to deflect the attack and direct it back toward the sender. But Sir Pent swings his sword and sends it right back to Olaf again.

Olaf tries to deflect it once more.

But his timing is off. He counters too soon and the attack hits him in the belly, knocking him backwards to the ground.

 _*Bzzap!*_

"Ow! My belly! My beautiful belly!" screams Olaf as he falls backwards onto his bottom. "Ow... My bum... My beautiful bum..."

"Drama queen..." scoffs Sir Pent indignantly. "You have much to improve on. Your timing is poor, and your movements must be more graceful. I expect you to work on your reflexes more from now on. And it would greatly help if you would also cut down on the snacks and lose some of that ridiculous extra weight."

Olaf is devastated by this order. "B-but I'm already cutting down on the snacks! I'm only eating _five_ meals a day now! And I've even reduced the amount of lard I put on my salad by half!"

Sir Pent stares at Olaf blankly, confusing the young trainee. "What..?!" the latter asks with a shrug.

The one-armed knight merely shakes his head with indigence. "Go get a broom from the castle's staff and sweep up every last piece of that jar you broke," he orders. "We will go over your diet and training later."

Olaf does as commanded and heads into the castle to retrieve a broom. His brother addresses him briefly as he passes by;

"Nice going losing your grip on your sword!" Otis says sarcastically. "Mom and Dad are going to be _oh so proud_ when they hear what a name you're giving our family!"

"Oh, shut up!" Olaf retorts. "It's not like _you've_ been doing any better!"

"I hope you don't expect _me_ to spot you any rupees when they make you pay for that jar you broke."

"Whatever. But hey, did you see the weird look Sir Pent just gave me after I told him about the progress I've made in my diet? What was _that_ all about? Do you think I must be overdoing it by cutting down so much?"

"I don't know. The guy's an enigma..."

Sir Pent resumes training his students and calls in the next one to be trained individually; "Now...Link!"

Link immediately drops his practice swinging against the dummy and steps up as summoned. Sir Pent runs him through the same exercises as he just did Olaf. They briefly go over every sword stance and technique Sir Pent has taught him thus far; the spin attack, the jump strike, the down thrust, the fatal blow, the mortal draw, etc.

Link manages to sufficiently pull off every one of them without much difficulty. He does a lot of solo-training at home in his spare time, so his swordsmanship is fairly impressive for a rookie.

Sir Pent closes Link's individual session with the same technique as before;

"Now...shield parry!"

Sir Pent sends a projectile toward the young trainee, who successfully swats it back with the proper timing and sends the attack back to Pent, who, in turn, repels it back again with a swing of his sword.

Link parries with his shield once again, and Sir Pent, too, swings his sword to send the attack back to Link yet again. The pattern continues, with Link managing to parry the projectile six times in a row in this round of _'Dead-man's Volley'_ (as swordsmen often refer to this sequence).

As the projectile reaches Link a seventh time, he opts to hit it with his sword this time instead of his shield; a speedier method of parrying that can be more difficult to counter, but is also more dangerous to perform, as it leaves the user more vulnerable than a shield-parry would if his timing is off. Fortunately, Link is successful. He sends the projectile back to Sir Pent at greater speed than any of his previous parries.

Still, as an experienced knight, Sir Pent predicts and counters it, sending it back towards Link just as before.

The young trainee tries to to parry once more, but after having disrupted his own sequence, his timing is off, which results in him taking the hit.

 _*Bzzap!*_

"Aaaghh!" cries Link in mild shock. Even if Sir Pent does use only minimum power to keep his attacks from doing any actual harm to his students, it still sends quite a surge through one's body to take a hit from him like this.

Sir Pent looks down at Link with his usual, undecipherable countenance as he remarks on the young trainee's performance; "Hm. Six consecutive shield parries and even one with the sword... Not bad for a rookie. But you still have a long way to go if you ever hope to amount to anything."

 _Was that supposed to be a compliment or an expression of disappointment..?_ Link is unsure. It is always difficult to tell with Sir Pent...

Either way, Link supposes he may have been getting too far ahead of himself by attempting to parry with his sword already. Sir Pent may be able to pull off this technique with ease, but it is obvious Link still needs more work before he is ready for that.

Sir Pent continues to critique as he walks on by;

"You may have been doing decently in solo-training, but that does not mean anything unless you can apply yourself to actual combat..." He turns back to face Link once more with an emotionless glare. "I can only hope that your sparring performance today will not be the disappointment that your every previous attempt has been thus far..."

Link says nothing. The cold feeling of Sir Pent's cold countenance staring piercingly into him, sternly reminding him of just how poor his recent sparring record has been, renders the young trainee unable to do anything but silently hang his head in shame.

Sir Pent squints all the more icily at Link before turning his back once again as he continues on his way to resume mentoring the other students. "I suppose we shall find out shortly..."

Link quietly sighs to himself. He will need to push himself harder if he is to master this parry combo.

Perhaps if he would raise his shield to his chest before attempting to parry with his sword, he would be able to quickly shift back into a shield-parry as a speedy fallback if his next sword-parry should fail?

Thinking it over, Link practices the motion a few times to get comfortable with it; swinging his blade while holding his shield to his chest to be ready to counter suddenly if something should nearly hit him in the chest in that vulnerable moment following his swing. It seems like it could make an effective combo to fall back on. He will have to try it out next time.

 _Perhaps he could even catch Sir Pent off guard and actually make HIM take the blow for a change..._

"That's enough of the warm-ups, everyone" Sir Pent declares to his students. "Now, let's put your skills to use in combat-training. All students get in line!"

The swordsmen-in-training line up as Sir Pent pairs them each with one another to square-off in combat against each other in sparring-practice. Trainees are positioned in a small arena drawn on the ground where they test their skills against one another while Pent observes and critiques their performances.

Link sighs in reluctance. Sparring time is the most important part of training...but also the part that he dreads the most.

Although Link's performance in solo-training is one of the best in his class, it is a whole different story once it comes time to put his skill to the actual test in sparring.

No matter how hard he tries, he finds he can never seem to keep up with the other guys. They are all so much bigger and stronger than he. And though he may perform better than most of them in solo-training, that means not a thing once actually facing off against them in combat. Applying one's swordsmanship to actual sparring against a living opponent is much different from merely striking at a wooden dummy or parrying predictable projectiles with a shield.

Link hopes desperately not to end up paired with Volker as his sparring partner today. Of all the other trainees, Volker is undoubtedly the most difficult. And he would probably be quite pleased if Link were to be injured again in another _'accident'._..

Fortunately for Link, it appears Sir Pent has paired Volker with Cliff right now, which means he is unlikely to be facing him today.

 _Thank goodness!_

While the current sparring matches are going on, Link decides to sit back and review some of Sir Pent's swordsman scrolls displayed on the nearby walls as he awaits his turn to be called into the sparring arena. It is always interesting to read about the many hidden skills that only legend-worthy swordsmen can pull off.

He reads from the scroll titled; "Hidden Mastery of the Sword". It tells of the most powerful sword techniques that very few have ever managed to master.

The scroll reads as follows;

 _"To master the art of the sword, one must fully dedicate oneself to constantly honing their skills and strengthening their body to be capable of wielding a sword to its greatest potential. A novice begins wielding his sword as a mere tool used for combat, but a true swordsman is one who wields it as an extension of himself._

 _"A warrior is only as good as his weapon, and a weapon is only as good as the warrior who wields it. There may exist many weapons in this world that make use of magic to enhance their capabilities, yet even the most powerful of weapons becomes merely a cumbersome load of extra weight if the hand that holds it lacks the strength or skills to make proper use of it. Which is why a swordsman must train unceasingly to strengthen his body, build his endurance, quicken his reflexes, and perfect his balance and coordination, so that he may become as a weapon himself._

 _"It is true that the use of magic can greatly enhance one's performance with the blade, but it can only compliment the skills that one already has and does not absolve the need to train physically. Body and spirit must work as one to bring about the ultimate potential in each other, and the greatest swordsman techniques, known as 'hidden skills', can only be performed by those who have trained both._

 _"The spin attack is one of the most basic of techniques that can be enhanced with the use of magic to strengthen its force of power, and those who master it in this way can enhance it even farther to perform a more powerful version; the hidden skill known as the Great Spin attack, which can easily strike down several surrounding foes in a single blow if correctly executed._

 _"But for as powerful as this hidden skill may be, there exists an even stronger version still, which few swordsmen have ever mastered: the legendary Hurricane Spin attack. By harnessing the power of the wind, swordsmen worthy of legend can combine it with the Great Spin attack to extend its duration and flail around the battlefield like a raging hurricane to tear through multiple enemies with great force._

 _"This technique must be used cautiously, however, as it is said to take toll on the user and quickly drains his stamina to the point where it could endanger his life if his opponents survive to counterattack while he is left vulnerable by the aftermath._

 _"In addition to the Hurricane Spin attack, there are still many other such hidden skills so advanced that few swordsmen in history have ever succeeded to master; some of which have so few known accounts of anyone being capable of using them that they are believed by most experts to be nothing more than a myth._

 _"One such example is the fabled Flurry Rush: a technique some swordsmen are said to possess that can supposedly stun time in a pinch to enable the user to repeatedly strike in a mad flurry of attacks during a crucial moment of battle._

 _"But just how this technique is acquired or used remains an unanswered mystery, and due to a lack of reliable accounts of anyone performing this hidden skill, there is much skepticism regarding its supposed existence. It is widely believed to merely be the product of fairy-tales passed into legend, and many claim that the concept of a warrior managing to stun time is far to implausible to_"_

"LINK!" the voice of Sir Pent angrily rings out. "Have you gone deaf to my orders?! I just told you to step into the arena!"

 _Huh..? Oh, shoot!_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! We've got lots of references to the hidden skills from _Twilight Princess_ today! Anyway, take note of some of the events that took place in this chapter, as well as what Link was reading on the scrolls; it will all be play pretty significantly into what will soon unfold...**

 **Now for those of you who have read the original edition of this story: while this chapter may have been a new insertion, the next one will play out about the same as it did in the original version, so you can skip it if you have already read it back then. Of course, if you want to reread it anyway, you are always free to do so. LOL**


	4. 1-4 The Weak Link

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 1: The Prologue_

 **Chapter 4** **  
** _The Weak Link_

Link snaps to. He was so absorbed in reading the scroll that he had failed notice Sir Pent had called him in!

Wishing not to upset his trainer any further, Link hastily run over to the arena where Chuck is waiting at the opposite side. He finds the eyes of everyone glaring at him with contempt. Even Sir Pent looks down at him coldly for failing to pay attention to his commands the first time. "S-sorry..!" Link sheepishly apologizes.

Sir Pent shows no reaction to Link's apology but merely gives the boy stern glare, letting his countenance do the scolding for him. He then jerks his head in the direction of the arena without a any change in his expression, telling Link wordlessly to step in and get started on sparring practice immediately if he wishes to avoid trouble.

The other trainees quietly murmur among each other as they watch Link step into the arena with Chuck. Although he cannot make out their exact words, he can tell by their snickers that they are enjoying the fact that he has made a mistake...

And they are even more so looking forward to seeing what other mistakes he is about to make in this sparring round.

Link may not have been watching the previous spars, but he can tell by the stinging look of exhaustion and humiliation Cliff bears that Volker had made short work of him. As usual.

A fact that just makes Volker's strength all the more intimidating, as Cliff himself is one of the most skilled students here. The fact that even _he_ stands so little a chance against Volker is more than proof enough of just how far out of Link's league Volker really is.

Link finds it fortunate that he will only be sparring against Chuck today. Even if Chuck himself can be a sort of troublemaker at times, he at least is nowhere near as vicious as Volker or some of the others are. He is also closer to Link's level of skill, as Link can usually outdo him in solo-training.

That said, Chuck's physical size and strength are still superior to Link's, giving him quite the advantage over the latter in direct competitions of swordsmanship like this. Link must be cautious in this spar, even if it is only practice.

Sir Pent orders the spar to commence. Both trainees draw their training-swords and shields and engage in combat.

Swords and shields clash. Link manages to successfully block or sidestep each blow from Chuck, but he also takes a step backwards each time to avoid the next one. He may not be getting hit, but he quickly finds himself getting backed into a corner as Chuck advances upon him with each swing of the sword.

Soon, Link is trapped at the edge of the arena with nowhere to go. He is completely cornered.

 _*Wham!*_

He takes a blow.

"Link!" scolds Sir Pent, greatly displeased by Link's lack of aggression. "It has been nearly three weeks since you've returned to training and I've yet to see any improvement in your performance! You only flee from your opponent's attacks and barely unleash any of your own! Quit neglecting your offense and show some aggression!"

Link takes the scolding with no resent. It was probably well-deserved on his part. He was so focused on blocking Chuck's blows that he completely ignored a number of opportunities he had to strike back when he should have.

Volker mocks him from the sidelines; "Aw, the poor baby is too scared to fight back! What's the matter? Can't take care of yourself without your grandma holding your hand? I guess we should call you...the _Weak Link!_ "

The sound of his fellow trainees laughing at him echoes throughout the courtyard;

"' _Weak Link'!"_ laughs Drew. "I am _so_ going to call you that from now on! Ha ha ha!"

"Maybe living on a farm has made him into a _chicken_!" Bart mocks before folding his arms like wings and begins to flap them in imitation of a chicken. " _Bawk, bawk, bawwwwk!"_

"Don't say ' _chicken_ '!" Olaf snaps while sweeping up the broken jar from before. You're making me hungry..."

Being as serious as always, Sir Pent gives a sweeping motion with his hand to command the entire class to sober up and take silence without even turning to face them. It works instantly. For as unruly as these trainees may be, they all know better than to provoke Sir Pent.

Chuck looks down at Link with an arrogant smirk. "So what next, rookie?" he taunts. "Ready to lose again?"

Link take a deep breath in concentration. He steps back into the arena for another round. His morale is not high, but he knows he needs to keep training if he is ever to improve.

Sir Pent reorders the spar. "Now, once again. And this time, refrain from retreating so much and focus more on your offense."

The duel resumes.

Link stands his ground better this time, even managing to throw in a few counter-swings of his own against Chuck. He seems to be putting up a decent fight this time around.

Momentarily, at least. Until Chuck swings a hard blow that comes too close for comfort...

Haunted by the fear of suffering another broken hand, Link soon finds himself unable to think of anything but preserving himself from injury again and can do nothing but defend. He cannot help it. He continues to step only backwards as as he parries while Chuck advances with every blow. Link knows he should be stepping forward more and trying to land a blow or two of his own, but the sight of Chuck's sword coming upon him seems to trigger a defensive instinct. He can only bring himself to evade and not counter.

Pushed back into the edge of the arena with nowhere to go again, he takes a blow just as before.

"Pitiful!" Sir Pent scolds in disapproval. "Do you honestly call _that_ swordsmanship, Link?! You perform so well in solo-training, I should expect more from you!"

Link hangs his head in shame. He failed again...

"Heh heh," Chuck laughs. "Looks like I'm just too good for the ol' rookie. I guess I can't blame him _too much_ for not being able to keep up with _me_."

"I wouldn't say _that,"_ Sir Pent bluntly remarks. " _Your_ performance wasn't all that impressive either. In the first place; you had left yourself open on numerous occasions. Anyone braver could have _easily_ taken advantage of your poor stance and moved in for the kill in such instances. Secondly, you had allowed the edge of your blade to collide far too frequently with your opponent's. Doing so with any real sword would greatly wear down the blade's cutting edge. You must learn to refrain from striking at the wrong moment to avoid both of these mistakes, as well as to only parry using the _side_ of your blade instead of the edge in order to preserve its sharpness. A blade is of no use when it is dull. You _both_ still have much to learn if you ever wish to master the art of the sword."

"Yeah, Chuck!" Volker arrogantly butts in. "Anyone can beat _Link_! Beating a wimp doesn't make _you_ any good! If you want to be anything impressive, you'd have to be able to hold your own against someone like _me_!"

Chuck grows annoyed. Although he, like the others, tends to look to Volker as somewhat of a 'leader' to the group, the latter does get even on his flunkies' nerves at times with his arrogance. "Is that a challenge?" asks the insulted trainee.

"Maybe..." Volker replies with condescending casualty. "You're not really worth my time, but if you want to have a go, I'll give you one...as long as you're not going to be a crybaby when you lose... Which you will."

"That's it!" Chuck exclaims, having endured enough mockery. "You're on! And you're going down!"

Volker smirks confidently. "Then let's go!"

Sir Pent grants his approval. He never seems to have any objections towards rivalry among his students. If anything, he considers it good motivation for them to improve themselves. "Very well. Watch closely, Link. You may learn something."

Link stands aside and watches with the others as Volker and Chuck face off in the arena.

Chuck attempts to rush into Volker using the same techniques as he had just used against Link.

But Volker is not so easily overwhelmed.

He stands his ground and quickly forces Chuck into a defensive state instead.

Within mere seconds of combat, Volker has Chuck overwhelmed and easily knocks him to the ground, pinning him there with his foot. "Ha! Told you so!" Volker gloats triumphantly. "You're no match for me! Don't say I didn't warn ya!"

Chuck says nothing. His quick defeat has left him too ashamed to speak.

"Very good, Volker," Sir Pent remarks. "Now Link, perhaps you should try a round with Volker yourself. Learn from his example of offense before defense."

 _Wait_ What..?!_

Link cringes with worry at the sound of Sir Pent's proposition. He had thought for sure that he would not have to face Volker today after they had both already been paired with other sparring partners. But it appears fate has other ideas...

Volker is the top-student, much bigger and stronger then Link ever could be, has no respect for the weak, nor concern for the well-being of others, always treats Link like dirt, and is the very one to have injured him before. There is no one else whom Link would feel more uncomfortable about having to train under than him.

But it was Sir Pent himself to make this suggestion, and Link wishes not to defy him. He quietly obeys and steps into the arena with Volker.

Link finds the loathsome look burning in Volker's green eyes as he looks down on him to be very intimidating. "Please go easy on me..." the young rookie pleads timidly. "Remember, I'm nowhere near the same level of skill as you..." He says this with the hopes that a little bit of flattery might convince Volker to not be so hard on him.

Volker only gives a menacing smirk in response. Link can only hope and pray for that to have been a ' _have-it-your-way-wimp'_ kind of smirk and not a ' _you're-dead-meat'_ kind.

Though he has only just stepped into the arena with Volker and the duel has yet to start, sweat already drips from Link's head in trepidation as he thinks back on the outcome of the last time they had trained together like this.

But perhaps he worries needlessly..?

After all, the entire reason Volker had acted so competitively back then was only because Princess Zelda happened to be strolling by at that moment and he wanted to catch her attention. But in the present moment, there is not a maiden in sight. There is nothing that would excite Volker into such aggression now.

 _...Right?_

Link readies his training-sword and braces himself for the imminent practice-battle with Volker. The two trainees lift their swords, ready to engage in combat.

But the moment is briefly interrupted by the voice of one of the other trainees;

"Hey! Heads up, everyone! It looks like Princess Zelda is out for a stroll in the courtyards!"

"(Great...)" thinks Link to himself. "(I'm dead...)"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Here comes Princess Zelda...after a cliffhanger! A little warning for those of you who are reading this for the first time; cliffhangers like this will be VERY common throughout the story... So prepare to be tortured by them! Mwahahaha!**

 **Anyway, for those of you who had read the original version of this story and want to know whether or not the next chapter has received enough changes to be worth your time; well, there will be a few new lines of dialogue added, but it's mainly just a little extra comedy and isn't necessarily significant. So if you've already read the original version, then you can just skip Chapter 5 entirely if you do not care to reread it just for a few minor lines of new dialogue. Of course, I certainly have no objections if you still want to reread it anyway. Your call.**

 **Now, some of you had stated in your reviews for the original that this chapter sounded rather repetitive in the way it overemphasizes how much Link is worried about suffering another injury, and so I had decided to cut a sizable amount of unnecessary dialogue out this time to pick up the pace a little better while still trying to maintain the feeling of suspense. Hopefully it's a little better now. I appreciate the feedback from before and hope for your continued support.**


	5. 1-5 The Princess of Hyrule

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 1: The Prologue_

 **Chapter 5** _ **  
**_ _The Princess of Hyrule_

Volker takes a brief pause to eye Zelda as she walks by. Clearly, he wants to make sure she gets to see this practice-duel.

With a stylish twirl of his training-sword and flick of his long hair, he calls out in an audible tone of voice, obviously hoping to prompt Princess Zelda into noticing the action;

"Alright, let's GO!"

Once certain that he has caught the princess's attention, he rushes into Link with full force, trying to appear as effortless as possible on the outside, but in truth, he is holding nothing back as he ferociously swings his sword at his less-experienced colleague with all his might put into every blow.

Link frantically tries to parry Volker's brutal onslaught to the best of his ability. The moment is playing out exactly like that haunting memory in Link's mind of their previous practice-battle that took place a year ago, which he remembers all too well...

 _It happened just like now._

 _Link had only been in training under Sir Pent for a few short weeks when he was paired against Volker one day for practice._

 _As the princess walked by, Volker's outward attitude became like that of one showing little to no effort in battle..._

 _But he clearly felt wildly competitive on the inside._

 _He rushed upon Link with full force, unconcerned of the fact that he was up against someone far less experienced at swordsmanship than himself._

 _His onslaught was fierce, as if facing a real enemy in actual combat rather than a rookie classmate that he was supposed to be training._

 _All Link could do in the moment was parry to the best of his ability to avoid taking a blow._

 _But soon enough, Volker's training-sword came slamming into Link's hand._

 _Hard._

 _Very hard._

 _Link's hand was broken, and he had to drop out of swordsman-training for the rest of the year._

 _Not only that, but the injury also hindered him from performing his regular daily activities as well._

 _He was unable to do most of his chores around the farm with only one working hand. And the constant dizzy-spells that a broken hand brings about made deliveries around town too difficult._

 _His grandmother had to handle most of the work around the farm on her own until he recovered. She was overloaded with an unhealthy amount of work for a woman of her late age._

 _Link has long been the only help his grandmother has in life, but during that time, he found himself being her greatest burden instead._

 _She often insisted to him that she can manage alright, reassured him not to worry about her, and told him just to relax and let his injury heal._

 _But Link knew very well that she was clearly overworked to exhaustion._

 _Eventually, Link had healed enough to gradually return to his chores again, but by the time his hand had made enough of a recovery to return to sword-training, it was getting too close to harvest season, and he did not wish to take the risk of another injury just before things would get busiest._

 _He had gone back to training privately, but had avoided going back to Sir Pent's class for awhile out of fear of the past repeating itself._

 _Especially since he knew that Volker blamed him for the incident after having been reprimanded in front of Princess Zelda for it._

 _But after returning at last, Link has been cautiously trying his hardest to avoid getting another injury. To the point that preserving himself from injury had subconsciously grown into a much higher priority than improving his swordsmanship._

 _Which unfortunately prevented him from improving much at all._

 _Link simply cannot bear the thought of leaving his beloved grandmother without a helper again. Seeing her go through all that extra work and stress while he could do nothing but rest was just too painful an experience to bear. Far worse than the pain of his actual injury was._

 _..._ And he refuses to let that repeat itself.

As Link tries in vain to parry Volker's incoming onslaught, he quickly comes to the decision that it is not even worth it. There is no way he could possibly hope to match Volker's strength, and Volker is obviously unconcerned about the risk of reinjuring Link.

In fact, Volker would probably be quite _pleased_ if Link should end up injured again.

The only thing Volker cares about right now is his opportunity to show off for Princess Zelda. And the only thing that he would consider problematic about reinjuring his less-experienced spar partner would be if he were to end up scolded in front of the princess for his recklessness again.

But the entire purpose Link rejoined this training-course was to improve his swordsmanship. Taking another injury as before would only prohibit his ability to train anymore and put him another step backwards.

So really, what is the point of taking such a risk?

If Volker wants to show off for Princess Zelda that badly, he can have his stupid glory. Link has no need to let himself get hurt again.

 _*Clang!*_

Link deliberately loosens his grip on his training-sword as Volker's collides with it and lets himself fall backwards to the ground, making it look as if it was Volker's sheer strength that had knocked him down and sent his sword flying from his hand. Volker was obviously going to beat him anyway, so it might as well have happened sooner rather than later if it is something that would have caused a high risk of repeated injury if it had continued on for too long.

The act seems to have worked. The match has reached its end and Link has successfully avoided any injury.

It may not be the most valiant act a swordsman could do, and this will likely earn him another scolding from Sir Pent, but allowing himself to take another injury just for the sake of putting up a better fight in a practice duel that he had no chances of winning anyway could have yielded consequences far more unfavorable than mere humiliation. Link has no regrets about throwing the match.

Until the sound of a girl's voice squealing in alarm rings out from behind him, that is...

 _"EEP!"_

The scream is followed by a clang as Link's sword hits the wall. The crowds gasp in shock. Link turns around in fright to see what unspeakable damage he has caused. His face goes pale at the sight.

Behind him, Link sees Princess Zelda standing with her eyes widened and head ducked down as his sword bounces off the wall right next to her after having been sent flying in her direction, just narrowly missing her head. He is relieved to see that she is unharmed, but horrified by the scene he has caused.

"Princess!" exclaims Sir Pent with worry. "Are you alright?!"

"Yes... I'm fine," answers Princess Zelda, straightening up. "I just...wasn't expecting that!"

Volker grows flustered by the incident. "L-Link! You moron!" he scolds belligerently, hoping to win some favor from the princess by speaking up for her. "Keep a better grip on your sword! You could've hurt our poor, sweet princess!"

"Don't worry, I'm fine," reassures Princess Zelda, disapproving of Volker's harsh belittlement toward his fellow trainee. "Accidents happen. But you needn't call your friend a ' _moron_ '. It's quite disrespectful..."

 _Not that Link and Volker truly are 'friends'..._

"Oh! Uh, right!" Volker quickly retracts, not wanting to leave the kind of impression on Princess Zelda that she might disapprove of. "I beg your pardon! How rude of me! I normally _never_ say anything like that, my fair princess, but I was just so concerned over your well-being that I somehow slipped a dirty word without realizing! It's a first time for me. I humbly assure you; it won't ever happen again!"

Link rolls his eyes to himself at Volker's words. _What a liar!_

But it quickly gets worse...

Trying to keep up the 'friendly' act in front of Princess Zelda, Volker wraps his arm around Link and holds him tightly.

 _Very_ tightly.

"Of course, he knows I didn't really mean that dirty word I said. I'm a nice guy!" lies Volker further. "I get along with everyone! Isn't that right, Linky-Boy?!"

Link would like to protest, but having his face pulled directly downwind of Volker's pits, he is unable to even breathe right now due to the putrid stench. Volker finally lets go, giving Link a rough pat on the head. The latter gasps for air, wishing Volker would take a bath once in awhile. He fights the urge to puke.

Princess Zelda picks up from the floor the training-sword that had nearly hit her. Through kind eyes as beautiful and blue as sapphire, she looks toward Link. "This is yours, is it not?"

Link's face goes pale once more. And not just from the near suffocation of having been pulled so dangerously close to Volker's armpit.

The eyes of his fellow trainees are now all centered widely on him as the princess holds out his blade for him to retrieve. _Did Princess Zelda really just speak to LINK?_

Breathing heavy with nervousness, Link slowly, quietly, and reluctantly steps towards the princess to retrieve his training-sword from her. He bows as he gets near, daring not to look her in the eye.

She stands noticeably taller then he. She is dressed in elegant attire fit for her royal status. She wears a white veil hanging from the back of her headpiece over her brunette hair and is clothed in a white and purple dress with golden trimming and intricate design. A handmade bracelet made of seashells strung together on a simple cord is worn upon her wrist, looking just slightly out of place in contrast to the rest of her more regal attire. But if a princess would don it so proudly, one could only assume its value must be worth a fortune.

Link can only dread to imagine how terribly out-of-place a lowly farmboy like himself must look right now standing before her in this old commoner-garb he wears. He feels unspeakably inadequate standing in the princess's presence.

The feeling of envious eyes from his surrounding peers now starring daggers into him sends chills up his spine. The other trainees have long desired to catch even a glimpse of notice from the princess, but none have ever succeeded in getting her to _speak_ to them.

Yet now, Link, the one whom they had always looked down upon as the least significant of all, stands in her presence before them all with her undivided attention without having even tried, while they all stand silently in the background with no part in the moment but to watch speechlessly with their jaws dropped and eyes widened.

This attention is far from what Link wanted. He never even desired to be noticed in the slightest! He wishes that he could just turn and run away.

"S-s-sorry..." apologizes the young farmboy timidly.

Princess Zelda merely smiles warmly as she hands him his sword. She seems to chuckle just slightly, almost as if finding his shyness somewhat endearing. "It's quite alright. No harm meant, no harm done. Accidents happen even to the best of us. Just take care not to lose your grip like that again, okay?"

Link acquires his sword from her hands and intends to get back to the sidelines immediately, hoping to put this awkward moment behind him as quickly as possible so it can be forgotten forever.

But unfortunately for him, before he can withdraw from the scene, the worst possible thing happens...

Princess Zelda continues to speak to him further.

"Say, haven't I seen you around before? If I'm not mistaken, you're the one who was injured last year and had to drop out, are you not?"

Link is surprised to hear that she actually remembers and recognizes him from before. "Uh... Well... Y-yes," he replies shyly, wishing she would not speak to him in front of his peers, who are growing more envious by the second.

"Yes, I thought you looked familiar," continues Princess Zelda. "I happened to be out for a stroll in the nearby courtyard at the moment of the incident, so I saw it with my own eyes. How is your hand? I hope it's doing better."

"It's fine, thanks..." replies Link politely, but still avoiding eye-contact and hoping he can leave the scene soon. _This is quite uncomfortable..._

"That's good," says Zelda. "Take care not to push yourself too hard. It's not worth risking another injury over. Okay?"

Link politely nods in response as he hastily retreats to the sidelines to blend in with the lower-crowd before she speaks to him any further.

Although he does fully appreciate Princess Zelda's politeness, as well as the concern she expressed over his former injury, and he does feel very grateful for the fact that someone has actually acknowledged him as a fellow human-being for a change instead of treating him like rubbish.

But he just wishes that it did not have to come from the princess...

He knows how badly each of his peers have wanted to catch the princess' attention themselves.

He knows that they consider him to be the most inferior of the group and the least deserving to be noticed by anyone of importance.

He can sense that they are all filled with great envy at the fact that the princess just spoke to him, of all people, right in front of them all, without him even making an effort to be noticed.

And he can tell that they are already planning in their envious hearts to try and make life as difficult as possible for him from this moment on.

"Well, good luck with your training, everyone," says Princess Zelda as she waves to the trainees before continuing on her way. "Don't let me keep you."

The trainees continue to gaze in awe as they awkwardly wave back as she leaves.

Once she is gone, they turn their gaze scornfully towards Link, who only stares away at the floor trying to avoid eye-contact with anybody.

There is an awkward silence.

Sir Pent at last breaks the silence with a scolding remark on Link's poor swordsmanship; "Well Link, that was probably your most pitiful performance yet. Loosing your grip on your sword is just about the _worst_ mistake any swordsman can make! You have a long way to go yet before you could ever hope to amount to anything. But fortunately for you, this _is_ my class you are in, and I've turned worse trainees than you into fully competent swordsmen before; surely I can train you as well. But you are going to have to put in a fair amount of effort of your own if that is ever going to happen. Is that clear?"

Link nods in shame, still remaining silent and avoiding eye-contact with everyone.

"Now, everyone," says Sir Pent to his class. "Let's get back to training. Time is short, so let's not have any idleness!"

The trainees all return to swordsman practice, but still continue to give Link the evil-eye throughout training.

They have always been rough on him, but it is plain to see that things are about to get even rougher from now on...

Link takes a mental note to stock up on healing potions if he can find them for a good price. He gets the feeling he might be needing them.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Anyhow, now Princess Zelda has been introduced to the story...and poor Link ended up acknowledged by her right in front of everyone! A lot of people might think that's one of the coolest things that could happen to you, but when you're the shy-type, that's just about the WORST luck you can get! LOL Anyone who is as socially-awkward as this incarnation of Link is (such as myself) could easily relate to how uncomfortable he feels in this scene.**

 **This chapter shows a lot more of this Link's character; his apparent cowardice in battle comes not so much from fear for his own well-being as it is for his grandmother's. It isn't the fear of getting himself hurt that's holding him back; it's the fear of leaving his grandmother to have to care for everything by herself again. And so he really isn't the total coward that he initially appears to be after all. The personality of this incarnation of Link is pretty similar to Colin's character in** ** _Twilight Princess;_** **he's the kind-hearted kid who is constantly bullied and looked down upon for his timidity, but will be the one to ultimately show true courage in the end. Of course, we'll get more into that later.**

 **Now, for those of you who have already read the original edition; the following chapter, like this one, is pretty much the same as it was before with just a few new lines of dialogue, but once again, the new dialogue is mainly just to add a little extra comedy and isn't necessarily relevant to any new plot-lines. Chapter 7, however, will be new.**


	6. 1-6 Green With Envy

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 1: The Prologue_

 **Chapter 6  
** _Green With Envy_

Swordsman-training has at last been dismissed. Sir Pent has instructed that all swordsmen able to assist the Royal Guard on the day of Princess Zelda's birthday celebration are to meet with him in the Knight's Hall immediately after putting their equipment away.

Link places his borrowed training-sword and shield on the wall-mount where they belong. Although swordsman-training was cut short today in favor of the ongoing recruitment, it feels like the longest training-session he has ever endured. The spiteful attitude his fellow trainees have been giving him since after that brief incident with the princess has made this the most uncomfortable training-session yet.

And it does not appear that the bitterness will be ending anytime soon...

As Link finishes putting his training equipment away, Volker approaches. He has been waiting for this moment to berate Link since that incident with Princess Zelda, but he did not want to do so in front of Sir Pent. Now is his chance.

The other trainees gather around to watch. They, too, have been waiting to see Link be _'punished'_ by someone, and Volker is just the guy for the job.

Link swallows a lump in his throat as his peers close in around him. _This is going to get ugly..._

"Smooth move, Link!" Volker sarcastically remarks with hatred burning in his eyes. "I bet you think you're so clever now after that stunt you pulled to get the princess's attention! But don't think you can fool me; I know you let go of your sword on purpose just so you could strike a conversation with Princess Zelda! That's pretty low!"

"What?!" responds Link "I did not!"

" _Sure_ you didn't!" Volker scoffs. "The first time you ever let go of your sword, and it just so _happens_ to be when the princess is walking by...and it goes flying straight at her! Don't tell me that wasn't duh-lur-brit!"

"Uh, I think you mean ' _deliberate'_..." corrects Link. "And, no... I didn't mean for it to go flying towards Princess Zelda at all... How could I have any control over the direction my sword goes when it was _your_ blow that knocked it out of my hand..?"

Bruce scratches his head as he considers Link's remark. "He may have a point, actually..."

" _I'll_ be the one to decide if he has a point or not!" snaps a frustrated Volker. "And I've decided that he _doesn't_!"

"Uh... Sorry..?" apologizes Bruce.

Having put Bruce back in line, Volker turns back to Link again. "Now look, Link; just because the princess spoke to you doesn't mean she's interested in you! She's completely out of your league! You don't stand a chance with her! So quit acting like you're better than the rest of us and learn your place! You've got _nothing_ special going with her! Ya hear me?!"

"Um... Yeah..?" replies Link, confused as to why Volker would assume he thinks there could be anything _'special'_ about someone simply handing his dropped sword back to him. "I know that... I never thought for even the briefest of seconds that she would have any possible interest in me...nor have I given any implication that I consider myself _'better'_ than anyone else... I don't know where you're even getting these ideas, but I honestly have _no_ intention of, nor interest in, pursuing the princess's affections, if that what you're implying..."

Link speaks truthfully. He has no idea why everybody is treating him as if he had just made a _'move'_ on the princess. Why would he even want to?

"Oh, _really?"_ Scoffs Volker sarcastically. "Well I sure wouldn't have thought that after seeing the way you were _flirting_ with her back there!"

"Say _WHAT.._?!" responds Link, shocked at the baseless accusation. "I've never flirted with anyone in all my life! When was I ' _flirting'_ with her..?"

"Don't play dumb with me!" snaps Volker. "I'm not a _moron_ like you!"

 _'Moron'_..? _Is that not the very word that he had just sworn to have never used before, nor would ever use again, when Princess Zelda voiced disapproval over it less than an hour ago..?_

"I thought you told the princess you'd never call anyone a ' _moron_ ' again..." Link reminds.

"Quit trying to make me look bad!" screams a flustered Volker. "What did I ever do to you that you always gotta go outta your way to make my life trouble?!"

 _*Slam!*_

Without a chance to react, Link is violently slammed against the wall by Volker's fist, followed by a painful kick to the gut. He drops to the floor in agony. He could not fight back against Volker's superior strength if he tried.

Though Volker would gladly do him far more harm if he could get away with it, but he knows by now not to push it too far if he wishes to avoid getting caught and reprimanded for it. Having _'punished'_ Link enough for now, he storms off in an infantile fit. He makes sure to stomp on Link's fingers as he walks away with his nose held high and his lower lip out in a pout, loudly grumbling to himself as he goes.

Link lies painfully on the ground, wondering just what he had said or done to get Volker so mad. "(I was about to ask you those same words...)" he says in his mind in response to Volker's last remark.

As Volker storms off, the other trainees begin to disperse as well, still giving Link the cold-shoulder as he struggles to get back to his feet. A few even kick him as they walk by.

If he thought it would do any good, Link would consider reporting Volker's behavior to the officials, but that is unlikely to help. Volker was clever enough to only hit him in the stomach where it would leave not a mark, leaving Link with no proof regarding the way he has been abused. And the others would surely only falsify the story and take Volker's side if questioned.

Besides this, Volker is the son of the most respected knight in the kingdom whereas Link is just a lowly farmboy whom nobody even knows very well. If anyone's story is going to be heard, it will be Volker's, not Link's.

If anything; trying to report Volker's abuse would only prompt him to seek further _'revenge'_ against Link outside of swordsman-training...which would be much more vicious than what he has displayed just now. Link deems it best just to forget it and not provoke Volker's wrath any farther.

The young farmboy sighs to himself in misery as he gets back to his feet. Just the thought of how much extra contempt (and possible bruises) that he is going to be receiving from his peers from today on is already wearing him down.

Although the other trainees do know in their hearts that Link has done no sort of wrong, but the fact that Princess Zelda had publicly acknowledged him out of all of them, even if only as briefly and as casually as she did, is enough to pull an envious nerve of theirs.

Furthermore, since Volker has always been a sort of (self-enforced) 'leader' to the rest of them whom they tend to look to for influence, they typically just go along with whatever he says or does. And now that Volker is being especially bitter towards Link, they will surely do the same.

Even if they know it is not right.

Link hesitates about whether or not it would be wise to join the recruitment now knowing that his peers are all so against him at the present. Then again, intimidation of his fellow recruits would sound like a very poor excuse not to serve his country when called to do so like this. He reluctantly follows behind at a distance as they head to the Knights' Hall where Sir Pent will be waiting for them.

Once everyone has arrived, Sir Pent proceeds to instruct the young swordsmen of their upcoming duties working under the Royal Guard.

"Listen closely, swordsmen," begins the legendary knight. "Working under the Royal Guard, even if only temporarily, is a serious responsibility. Even if you are only a recruit for a day, you are still a soldier, and it is therefore your responsibility to do the duty of one to your full extent. I will not tolerate any of you taking your duties lightly. You are to arrive ahead of time when scheduled, and are expected to remain armed and sober at all times when on duty. Anyone caught acting out of line will answer to me..."

Sir Pent then glances sternly over at Volker; "...Even if they _are_ my own blood."

Volker gives little reaction. He only seems to be wishing in his head that his father would not try to intimidate him in front of the guys like this.

Sir Pent continues; "Now, when registrations are complete, you will each be assigned a position of rank depending on your level of skill and personal reliability, and you will be loaned a temporary recruit's uniform sometime this week. The color of the uniform you are assigned will signify your position. Most of you will be given a green uniform. Those with this color are of the lowest rank and will mainly be stationed outside the castle to supervise the outdoor carnival and provide guests with whatever assistance they may need. A few of you may be assigned a blue uniform. Those with this color will be working under the main guards within the castle. Both the green and blue recruits will be subordinate to the main guards and you will be expected to do whatever you're told as soon you're asked. You will likely see some other recruits around the castle in a red uniform. These are the elite recruits, and many of them will be those whom have served the Royal Guard before, not rookies like yourselves. You are to treat them with the same level of respect and subordination as you would the main guards, and if they ask anything of you, you will do as they say without question. Your uniforms will include a suit of mail, but any further armory you wish to wear, such as a shield or a helmet, you will be expected to provide for yourselves, as well as to bring your own choice of weapons for the event. Is all this clear, everyone?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Now then, are their any questions?"

Volker speaks up; "Hey, do you think it's really worth letting _Link_ here be part of the Guard? I mean, we all know what a wimp he is in battle. How's a weakling like _him_ going to defend the castle?!"

Link only stares at the floor, respectfully keeping his silence and letting Volker's harsh words go by while leaving judgment entirely to Sir Pent.

"I am very much aware that many among you are not fully ready for true guard duty," Sir Pent proceeds to explain. "But all we are looking for right now is a merely few extra men to stand watch. It seems quite unlikely that any need for actual combat would arise. As long as there are enough guards on duty to keep the celebration well-supervised, there should be no trouble in the making."

It probably goes without saying what just color of uniform a rookie like Link will be assigned that day...

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! And I am sure that anyone who has played a Zelda game knows by that last line where things are going...**

 **For those of you who had read the original edition of this fanfic; you'll find that Volker is more violent towards Link this time, but overall, the scene still plays out pretty much the same as it did before. I realize that I didn't demonstrate very well in the previous edition of this story just how vicious of a character Volker really is, which had made Link appear as if he was fearing him needlessly, so I'm making sure to fix that this time.**


	7. 1-7 Of Gossip and Silence

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 1: The Prologue_

 **Chapter 7  
** _Of Gossip and Silence_

After Sir Pent is finished briefing everyone on everything and registrations for the recruitment are complete, the class is dismissed and all trainees head out on each their own ways. Link's peers still continue to give him the cold shoulder on the way out. He makes sure to go the long way around when he retrieves his parked cart in order to avoid them. He leaves once he has a safe distance between them and himself.

It has been a rough day. Instead of going straight home, Link decides to first head down the quiet side-road surrounded by trees leading to a special place. None of the others ever come this way, as the place down this road is one that they have no desire to visit.

He happens to pass by two of the town's residents on the way; Pompie and Vera. The two women are so immersed in their gossiping that they do not even seem to notice as he walks right on by them.

Which is absolutely nothing out of the ordinary for them at all, as they _are_ among the worst gossips in town. Their conversation goes as follows:

Pompie: "...I heard that they even sent invitations to the Goron tribe to come to Princess Zelda's ceremony! Do you think they will really come?"

Vera: "I should hope not! I don't trust those stone barbarians! I expect they're up to no good up there on Death Mountain. I wouldn't be surprised if they turned on us soon!"

Pompie: "Oh? What makes you say that? No one has even heard much from the Gorons in years."

Vera: "Exactly! The way they've cut themselves off from humankind gives me every right to be suspicious. Have you heard about the sudden volcanic activity in Eldin? Some say the Gorons are behind it."

Pompie: "Oh, really? But what would the Gorons hope to gain from activating the volcano?"

Vera: "I don't know. Perhaps they're looking to let Hyrule go down in flames and take the spoils for themselves? Given the way they've been so distant to us humans these past decades, I wouldn't put anything past them. Can't hardly call them our allies anymore."

Pompie: "Goodness! That does sound worrisome! I hope it isn't true!"

Vera: "All I know is that those Gorons are a shady bunch! Have you seen the one that opened shop in town recently?"

Pompie: "I haven't met him, but I have heard about the way he barely even interacts with anybody. He certainly does sound rather suspicious."

Vera: "He sure is. The first and only Goron to show himself around here in years...and he's as shady as they come, if you ask me! I can't trust anyone who only ever keeps to himself like that!"

Pompie: "But do you know who I think is even more shady? The Zoras! I can't say I feel comfortable knowing that the tribe tasked with keeping our waters in check is related to a race of river monsters!"

Vera: "Amen to that! I don't trust them either! And the way our drinking water had gone so stagnant for awhile a few years back is proof enough that they're not very loyal to us Hylians! Some say they were the ones responsible for the destruction of the Gleeok dam that annihilated so many human settlements in Necluda when it busted..."

Pompie: "It certainly makes me uncomfortable knowing that these shady fish-people will be coming to our own Castletown next week. But I suppose King Roark just has to do what he can to keep peace with them. They say their king has a spell that could slay over a hundred enemy soldiers in a single blow! Ohh, how I'd hate for him to unleash it here!"

Vera: "I wouldn't be so sure any efforts to keep peace with those Zoras will even make a difference for long... They say King Zora's daughter causes nothing but trouble for King Roark every time she comes to Castletown. Surely this is a sign of treason in the making!"

Pompie: "I believe the Zoras are involved in this secret society everyone is talking about that's said to be the cause of the increase in monster sightings in Hyrule. If anyone would be out spawning monsters, it'd obviously be those who are _related_ to them!"

Link rolls his eyes at the ludicrous words of these paranoid women. People always come up with such ridiculous conspiracy theories.

 _Why would the Gorons want to deliberate a volcanic eruption? Living in the volcanic mountains of Eldin themselves, an eruption would only cause THEM more harm than anyone else! And just because this lone Goron shopkeeper keeps to himself is no reason to accuse him of anything shady. Lots of people (including Link) prefer to keep to themselves!_

 _And what reason would the Zoras have to turn against their closest allies, the Hylians? It is a known fact that the Gleeok dam was destroyed in a local earthquake. The Zoras had nothing to do with that!_

 _But what of this theory of a cult spawning monsters? How could that even be possible? And what would anyone hope to gain from increasing the numbers of monsters in the first place? None of these conspiracy theories make any sense..._

Turning a deaf ear to the gossiping women as they go on and on, Link makes his way down the road and stop at his destination;

The Temple of Time.

The sacred temple stands majestically, surrounded by beautiful trees on either side with a gentle breeze passing through their branches, creating a relaxing rustle sound that adds to the peaceful atmosphere. The only company being the odd stone near the front with strange, eye-like patterns carved into it. Link knows not what sort of purpose the mysterious stone serves, but it has been there for ages.

Parking his cart, the young Hylian takes some time to just walk around aimlessly and enjoy the ambiance.

The place is empty, as usual. Not many people are very religious these days, especially not others Link's age, and so they often avoid this area as much as possible.

Link, however, likes to come here as often as he can. There is always a sacred presence from within the temple that fills him with a sense of serenity and security knowing that the goddesses are always watching over Hyrule. It is here, the very place that most other people his age tend to feel most uncomfortable around and would rather avoid at all costs, that he finds peace of mind and healing for his restless spirit.

Looking up at the sheer height of the massive trees that surround the temple, Link feels reminded of just how small humans really are in comparison to nature. Which, in turn, is merely just part of a much bigger universe. It is impossible to consider his own problems significant when he thinks of that. Just being here, even for only a few short minutes, puts him at ease. Stress and trepidation just wash away in the holy silence where Link can rest his mind, forget about his troubles, and recount his blessings in the peaceful solitude of quiet prayer and reflection.

And with how stressful things have been lately, he has coming here all the more often.

And that will likely not let up anytime soon after today. Things are bound to get a lot busier with the princess's ceremony coming up, and the idea of working alongside his fellow trainees sounds far from pleasant, especially with how badly they begrudge him right now.

However, this is not his only worry at the moment.

Deep down, he also finds himself a little concerned about the way Sir Pent has been treating him lately...

Not that Sir Pent is being overly hard on him. Nay, Pent has always been known as a tough teacher. What concerns Link is how Sir Pent has _not_ been pushing him quite as hard as he used to. He still seems to be pushing the students that he has higher expectations for, just as he always has, but lately he has been somewhat less caring about Link's mistakes. He has been letting the young farmboy off almost _too_ easily these days.

He still scolds Link for messing up, tells him that he needs to improve, and reminds him that he is able to train the boy only if he puts in a sufficient amount of effort himself; the same approach Sir Pent has always taken.

And yet...

Something is off... It is as if Sir Pent is only saying and doing such things as part of a routine, but he no longer actually cares if his efforts to train Link are really fruitful or not even though he is normally very serious about his swordsman class and has little tolerance for failure.

But Link suspects he knows where this sudden lack of assertiveness is coming from...

Sir Pent has no doubt come to think of him as a lost cause. He no longer takes training Link seriously...because he believes in his heart that it is only a matter of time before the struggling farmboy decides to drop out again.

After all; Sir Pent is no fool. He knows very well how badly Link fears to push himself. The instant the young trainee feels threatened during practice, he gives up and retreats out of fear for his well-being. And since Link has given up on facing his fears, it appears Sir Pent has given up on training him. His expectations for the young farmboy have grown so low that he can care no longer.

"(Perhaps Volker's words earlier are true...)" Link thinks to himself with a sigh. "(If even Sir Pent himself considers me to be a lost cause, then perhaps having to deal with a weakling like me in his class really _is_ just an insult to his duty and honor...)"

But looking upon the Temple of Time and recalling its purpose of paying homage to the goddesses of Hyrule for the blessing of time serves as a reminder to Link that _ALL_ of time is indeed a blessing; both the good and bad times alike. Although life can be hard at times, he remembers he is still privileged to live in a time of peace; a peace that came at a great price bought by the sacrifices of many throughout history.

And that peace may not last forever...

Which is precisely why knights are needed in this age; to be ready to defend this peace from any threat that may arise to endanger it. It is for such a noble cause that Link trains to dedicate his very life to. And if assisting the Royal Guard next week is something he can do to contribute to this cause, than contribute he will.

This will probably be the most he will ever get to contribute in his lifetime anyhow, since it would appear that his chances of actually becoming a real knight one day are looking quite slim...

 _Hm? Who is that over there..?_

Link realizes he is not as alone here as he had previously thought after all. Three bearded men, garbed in red, blue, and green colored cloaks respectively, are gathered in a remote area near the temple. They appear to be conversing about something.

 _Are they some visiting spiritual order who have come to pay homage at this place of worship perhaps..?_

Link knows not who these mysterious men are nor what their business at this temple may be but he wishes not to disturb them with his presence. He opts to keep his distance to avoid having either party's quiet time be interrupted.

The three cloaked men, meanwhile, continue to have their private discussion.

The true nature of it being something far more sinister than Link would imagine. Their conversation goes as follows;

Green-cloaked man: "It appears the temple's gateway to the Sacred Realm truly is impenetrable... There will likely be no second chances if we fail to cease this upcoming opportunity."

Blue-cloaked man: "Indeed. It is not everyday there's an event such as the princess's coming-of-age ceremony to prompt that ancient sage to step out for even a minute. We have only _one_ shot at this when that Door of Time finally opens for but a moment. Once it closes again, it shan't be reopening any time soon..."

Red-cloaked man: "Don't be so dramatic, will you? Surely Master Kazama's plan shall be a success! Mark my words, brothers; just one more week and the elusive power that this blasted temple has kept hidden for so long shall at last belong to the Devastati!"

* * *

End of Episode 1: _The Prologue_ ** _  
_**To be continued in Episode 2:  
 ** _The Day of Duty_**

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Now you may be wondering what I mean in saying that this is the end of Episode 1. Well, I don't want to make this Author's Note too long, but an explanation can be found in my profile page here on this site. This first "episode" is just an introduction, but those that follow will be longer and feature much more action, including many full battle-sequences, so stay tuned!**

 **Anyway, if you are unsure who Pompie and Vera are: they're those two NPCs from Windfall Island in** ** _The Wind Waker_** **who are gossiping about Lenzo the photographer. Here they are seen gossiping about the latest rumors in this story's era, hinting at info that will play a significant role in the plot...**

 **Now for those who've read the original edition: I** **apologiz** **e** **for having only two chapters that actually hold anything new so far, but that will change soon, as a lot of new content is on the way. The very next chapter has been updated significantly at the beginning and end, though the middle is about the same as last time.**


	8. 2-1 Sentimental Values

~SilentN

 **The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit  
** _Episode 2: The Day of Duty_

 _Link, a rookie swordsman living on a small farm with his widowed grandmother, is constantly looked down upon and bullied by his peers for his small size and apparent timidity. But when he and his fellow trainees are recruited to assist the Royal Guard for one day during Princess Zelda's birthday ceremony, things take an unexpected turn that may change his life forever..._

* * *

 **Chapter 1  
** _Sentimental Values_

The Legend of Hylia's Chosen:

 _In the great battle against the Demon King, legends tell of a hero among men chosen by the goddess Hylia herself who was gifted by her with a sacred sword to seal the darkness and a crimson steed of the sky._

 _As with many legends, the story has been greatly altered beyond consistency over time. According to some versions, the hero gave his life slaying the Demon King. In others, however, the goddess intervenes and temporarily loses her own life in his stead. In others still, the hero is kept alive and given a place in the heavens to honor his valiant deeds._

 _Although the legend has received countless variations, typically to depict the hero in accordance with the ideals of the teller, what remains consistent is that he was a mortal of great courage who engaged the Demon King in a decisive battle to save mankind from a terrible fate._

 _In another common legend where the Demon King is resurrected a thousand years later, it is said that the hero descended from the sky with the aid of the goddess Hylia, who had temporarily shed her divinity to become mortal for a life, and once again engaged the forces of darkness in battle, where the hero and the goddess reincarnate emerged victorious._

 _There has been much debate as to whether the hero ever existed or if he was merely the fabrication of fairy-tales from the very beginning, but whispers of his legacy have continued to inspire further legends for ages to come._

 _According to one such legend, it is said that the hero's spirit continues to watch over Hyrule to this day, and that he will return to fight evil once more whenever the kingdom should fall threat to darkness again..._

* * *

The day of Princess Zelda's birthday celebration has arrived. Link prepares for work in his bedroom at home. He puts on the recruit's uniform he was assigned, which is mainly a simple suit of mail covered beneath a green tunic. He also equips a special sword and shield.

Not necessarily _'special'_ in the eyes of anyone else, but they are special to him.

These once belonged to his departed father, Finch. They are by no means among the fanciest sword or shield around, but Link would not consider using anything else if even he could afford it.

He pauses to look upon the sword for a moment, his eyes fixed upon the emblem engraved in the center;

The crest of Farore: Hyrule's golden goddess of courage.

Like Link, Finch was also the timid sort, and so he had a special devotion to Farore to help him grow in courage and do the right thing in spite of his fear. It does help Link feel a little better about himself knowing that he is not the only one to struggle with being brave, and he has been trying to follow his father's example by praying for courage himself, just as Finch used to. Link was still very little when his parents had died, and he only vaguely has any memory of them, but they still remain an important part of him nonetheless.

And this sword and shield are not all that he will be equipping for guard-duty today; Link also equips a bow and quiver, which he had made himself some time ago. Even if his swordsmanship may leave a lot to be desired at the present, Link does feel much more confident with the bow. His skills have even managed to win himself a few prizes at archery events in the past. While it seems highly unlikely that he would have any need to draw his bow today, and his sword is the only weapon that he is really required to bring, Link decides to bring the bow anyway just because a guard is supposed to always be prepared for any possible combat at all times.

The celebration is to be held at Hyrule Castle where the royal family resides, and, thanks to Princess Zelda's generosity, even common-folk are invited to attend freely, which means that his grandmother will also get the chance to participate today. Hyrule Castle will not be open to the public until noon, but as a hired recruit, Link is required to show up a few hours in advance to help prepare for the ceremony. Having finished his chores around the farm early today, he is ready to head out to the castle. His grandmother will arrive later when Hyrule Castle opens to the public.

"Grandmother!" calls Link on his way to the door. "I'm on my way out to the castle now! I probably won't be back until after nightfall!"

"Wait!" his grandmother calls out from the other room. "I haven't seen you in your recruit's uniform yet! Let me have a look at you!" She comes out to see her grondson off. Her face lights up with pride and joy as she looks upon his uniform. "Well, just look at you! Your parents would have loved to see you right now! Especially your father; he tried so hard to become a knight for your mother's honor... Oh, what he would have given to see his little boy taking up his old sword and shield in his stead and serving in the Royal Guard!"

"Well, I'm still not exactly a knight, you know..." Link reminds modestly. "Just a temporary recruit."

"No matter. They would have been fully proud of you now either way," says his grandmother. "But, my! That green is a good color for you! Come to think of it, it reminds me of a hat your mother once made for your father... Wait right here; I think I know just where it is!"

Link flinches at the sound of this. He knows where this is going.

"I kind of have to get going now..." says the young farmboy, hoping to get away before his grandmother proposes something embarrassing.

"Oh, it will only be a minute," insists she. "I'll be right back!" And with that, she disappears into the other room.

She comes back a minute later with a cloth hat in hand. It is long and green, with a pointed tip and a yellow headband. Link cannot help but think that it looks a little bit silly...

Not that he would tell his grandmother that, of course.

"Ta da!" she says proudly as she holds up the hat for him to see. "Here it is; your father's hat from your mother! It was her first attempt at making a clothing item by hand. And would you look at that; the color matches your uniform perfectly!"

Link hopes desperately that he can get out before she asks him to wear that. "That's very nice, Grandmother, but I really need to get going to_"

"Oh, put it on first!" she interrupts. "I'm sure it will go great with your uniform!"

Link sighs quietly to himself. He just knew she would say that...

Obliging to his grandmother's request, he reluctantly puts the hat on for her. _It is very believable just by looking at it that this hat was a first attempt..._

"Perfect! Just perfect!" his grandmother nearly squeals in delight. "Why, it looks as if they were part of a set! I insist you wear that hat with your uniform to guard duty today! And since it was a gift from your mother to your father, it will be like keeping them both with you as you work! What a nice little tribute to make for your parents as you fulfill your duties to your country!"

"Yeah, I guess..." says Link, trying to hide his reluctance. "Alright, I'm really heading out now..."

"Okay, Dear. I'll see you when I get there."

"Bye."

After sharing an embrace goodbye with his grandmother, Link heads out the door, stopping briefly to pet the cat -a black-and-silver, long-haired tabby named Storm- on his way out of the house before proceeding down the road to town.

He still feels not all that crazy about the hat, but he also does not wish to disappoint his beloved grandmother. And after she had remarked that it would be like keeping both of his parents with him while working for the Royal Guard, there's no way he could decline.

After all; one of the main reasons Link hopes to one day serve as a knight in the first place is for their honor, so how could he refuse paying a little tribute to them like this? Even if the hat _does_ look kind of silly, it is still something that he shall wear proudly if it holds that kind of sentimental value.

And if the young farmboy should end up getting teased about it...

Well, it cannot be any worse then how his peers have already been treating him this past week since that incident in with Princess Zelda.

With his father's sword and shield equipped, as well as his own bow and quiver, Link heads down the road to Castletown. It is a pretty nice day for a walk; not too hot, not too chilly; a gentle breeze is blowing; everything is quiet and_

 _Wait... What is that sound coming from behind..?_

"Whoa! Calm down, Epona! Come back!" calls out a familiar voice among the sound of hooves galloping at high speed.

Link turns around to see Epona -his neighbors' unruly Clydesdale- running madly up the road behind him. Far off behind her, Talon -the said neighbor who owns her- chases frantically and futilely trying to catch her.

 _This is not good! Something must be done before she gets away!_

Epona is running straight in Link's direction. He may be able to catch her if he is quick enough. She comes rushing in furiously, kicking up a cloud of dust behind her as her hooves beat like thunder across the ground.

 _*Gallop! Gallop! Gallop!*_

Link brace himself...

And throws himself upon her as she passes him. He manages to get his arms around her neck and swings himself onto her back in the midst of her rampage.

Once upon her, it immediately occurs to him that this is probably not the wisest way to stop a raging horse, and he definitely would not recommend this dangerous method to anyone. But he has to act now or never, and he has had enough experience with Epona to pull this off.

Gripping the rampaging mare by the mane, Link speaks soothingly to her as he gently commands her to stop; "Whoa! Easy, Epona..! Easy..." She is a very wild and stubborn horse, and can be quite dangerous to approach if her trust is not earned first, but she and Link have known each other for a long time and he is one of few people whom she will actually allow to handle her. She begins to calm down for the young Hylian as he soothes her from upon her back. "That's it... Good girl, Epona... Good girl..."

Having calmed Epona, Link looks back to see Talon huffing to catch his breath as he falls to his knees in exhaustion in the distance behind them. The young farmboy turns the horse around and brings her back to her owner.

"Are you okay..?" asks Link as he dismounts Epona and offers his hand to help Talon up.

"I am...thanks...to you..!" pants Talon, still catching his breath. "Whew..! Thank goodness you came along when ya did, Link..! She would've gotten clean away if ya hadn't..!"

"So...what happened..?" Link inquires as he pulls Talon to his feet and hands him Epona's rein.

"A snake spooked her," Talon answers. "I tried to calm her down, but she just don't listen to me like she do Malon! I don't know how you do it, but you're just about the only other person who can ever get Epona to calm down when she gets like that!"

Malon is Talon's daughter. The two of them live on the ranch just down the road from Link and his grandmother. Since they are all farmers living around the same area, the two families naturally tend to help one another out in their work from time to time.

"Well, I'd best be gettin' on back now," says Talon as he takes Epona back into his care. "You on yer way to the castle now, I take it?"

Link nods in reply.

"Malon and me will be there for the princess's ceremony ourselves later today" continues Talon. "Is your grandma gonna need a ride there? We got plenty o' room in our wagon if she needs a lift."

"Thanks, I'm sure she would appreciate that," answers Link.

"Sure! It's no trouble. I'll be sure to talk to her 'bout it before we leave. I reckon we'll see ya around. Later then!"

Talon and Link wave as they part ways. The former heads back to his ranch with Epona while the latter resumes his path down the road to town. The young recruit has a long day ahead of him. Hopefully catching hold of a runaway horse was the most excitement he will have to deal with.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Now, f** **or those reading this story for the first time; we just have but a few more subtle but important subjects for setting up the plot to introduce in the next chapters, but then that will be enough of an introduction for awhile, and things will start to get much more exciting after that.**

 **For those who have read the previous version of this story; You can see that the major new change to this revised chapter is the inclusion of Talon, the mentioning of Malon (who will appear in-person later on), and most importantly; Epona! She will play a significant role later on.** **Another smaller (but still significant) change to this chapter can be found at the beginning where it's now mentioned that Link's sword bears the crest of Farore and that he has a special devotion to her, which will receive a little more focus later on.**

 **But as for the changes that will be found in the next chapter; well, a lot of the dialogue has changed, but it's mainly just to add some extra comedy and emphasize the characters a little better. But the scene still plays out pretty much the same as before. It's up to you if you want to bother rereading it or not if you've already read the original edition.**


	9. 2-2 Guard Duty

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 2: The Day of Duty_

 **Chapter 2  
** _Guard Duty_

The sun high in the sky above the iconic Hyrule Castle, Link stands watch in the outer grounds below positioned alongside Bruce and Sven for guard duty. The three young recruits are all garbed in green tunics.

But only Link has a green hat to match.

The other recruits eye it with both curiosity and contempt. "Dude," says Bruce indignantly. "What's with the hat?"

"Yeah, none of _us_ got one!" says Sven with an infantile pout. "What makes _you_ so special?! ...It's 'cause you're friends with the princess, isn't it?!"

"My grandmother just happened to have it lying around and liked how it matched the color of my uniform," Link explains. "So she insisted that I wear it... That's all. _And for the last time; I don't have _any_ personal relationship with the princess..."

Gossip about his accidental encounter with Princess Zelda still has not died down. And Link has been feeling quite fed up with the way everyone has been constantly throwing it in his face at every chance they get. There has not been a day since without someone bringing it up and prompting him to have to verify all over again that the event was nothing significant. Since then, he has found himself being repeatedly accused all week of _'flirting'_ with the princess, of thinking himself to be _'better'_ than everyone else, and of _'disrespecting'_ his fellow trainees with his _'condescending attitude'._

There is not a word of truth behind any of these claims, of course. It is all just Volker and the others saying these things about him and spreading rumors. But Link has found himself getting an increasingly worse reputation around town because of it. Needless to say; this past week has been quite tiresome for him.

"But you're the only one of us she's ever gone out of her way to talk to!" argues Sven to Link, still holding him to the accusation.

"Only because I accidentally almost _killed_ her!" Link reminds, slightly vexed. "That _hardly_ qualifies us as acquaintances..."

"Man," says Bruce. "If the princess talked to me, I'd be tellin' the whole town about it! What's _wrong_ with you, dude?! You sure you ain't hidin' something..?!"

"Well, whatever" scoff Sven. "But can't you at least introduce _us_ to the princess too? We'll pay you! ... _Maybe_."

"How am I supposed to do _that.._?" Link asks. "I'm no more acquainted with her than the rest of you are..."

Link cannot understand at all why they would think him capable of introducing them. What do they expect him to say?

 _'Yo, Princess! Remember me?! I'm that random guy who almost accidentally killed you during a training mishap just last week! I'm aware that you don't even know my name or anything, but I still think we're pretty close, and so I'd like to introduce you to a few of my peers whom I barely know myself!'_

_Doing something as stupid as that would surely just prompt the king to employ some full-time bodyguards to always accompany the princess during her strolls and keep her from having to be approached like that again.

As the conversation goes on, Volker happens by. Unlike Link and the others, his recruit's uniform is complete with a red tunic rather than a green one. Being the son of Sir Pent and top-student has granted him special privileges in the ranks, making him the only novice swordsman to receive the honor of being an elite recruit for today.

He, too, takes notice of Link's hat and decides to get on his case about it;

"What's with the hat, Link?!" asks Volker scornfully "You thinking you're too _special_ that just a regular recruit's tunic wasn't enough for you?! You had to go and add something more so that you'll stand out from your fellow recruits?! Ain't that just typical of you! You've been _way_ over your head ever since Princess Zelda spoke to you!"

 _Unbelievable!_ Link was only just _starting_ to get Bruce and Sven off his back about this...and now Volker comes along and starts it up all over again!

Unfortunately, Volker is far more viciously temperamental than the others. One wrong word and Link will surely take a beating from him...

"N-n-no..!" says Link frantically. "It was my grandmother's idea to wear this! She had it lying around and liked the way it's color matched my uniform..!"

"You can say that all you want but you're not fooling me!" scoffs Volker. "I know what you're _really_ up to; you're just trying to make yourself stand out so the princess will notice you again! You sure are desperate, ain't ya!"

"Of course not!" protests Link, growing rather annoyed by the constant accusation. "Why do you keep accusing me of this..?!"

"Don't play innocent with me!" scolds Volker. "Just you wait till the tournament this afternoon; _then_ I'll put you in your place for _everyone_ to see! _Including the princess!"

"But...I'm not participating in the tournament," informs Link. "I'll be on duty when it's going on..."

Volker seems amused at this. "What_ You mean you chickened out and didn't even register for the big swordsman event today?!" he says with a condescending laugh. "Ha ha! That's just pathetic! I guess that just goes to prove how right I always was in saying that you're not fit to call yourself a swordsman! I guess it's like they say; _the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!_ You're just as wimpy as your old man was!"

"My dad was _not_ a wimp!" protests Link in an irked tone, surprising even himself with his sudden boldness. "But...as for why I didn't enter the tournament..." he continues, finding himself quickly sinking back into his typical fear and weakness as he speaks, unsure why he is even continuing; "Well_ I'm just...not ready for that sort of thing..."

"Well at least you got _that_ right!" Volker taunts. "But in _your_ case, you'll _never_ be ready! You're a million years from being ready to even _have_ a sword of your own!"

"I have a sword..." Link utters.

"Oh _really..?_ " mocks Volker. "Then why didn't you bring it? All I see is that junk _baby's toy_ on your back!"

 _Owch!_ _Now he is getting hurtful..._

Bruce and Sven laugh. They find this amusing.

" _Don't_ call it that..." says Link sternly. "This was my _father's_ sword."

"Oh! So _this_ thing is that _'sword'_ you were talking about?" Volker continues to mock as he seizes Link by the arm and intrusively grabs hold of the latter's sword, drawing it from its scabbard on his back.

Link tries to protest but is quickly and effortlessly shoved back by Volker's superior strength.

"Ha! I would've thought it was a _backscratcher!"_ taunts Volker as he examines Link's sword. "But it's true what they say about a warrior only being as good as his weapon; a garbage weapon for a garbage swordsman!" He then tosses it into the dirt as Bruce and Sven continue to laugh on.

Link says nothing but gives Volker a vexed glare. _What does he find so amusing about causing pointless misery like this?_

As the young farmboy goes to retrieve his sword, he is tripped by Volker. He crashes on the ground, just out of reach of his blade.

 _*Thud!*_

He attempts to get up and reach for it, but Volker pins him to the ground with his foot and thrusts his own blade in front of Link's face. "Now _this_ is what a _real_ sword looks like!" Volker taunts.

His blade is significantly longer than Link's and much more polished: nearly as reflective as a mirror. It is made of a strong and sturdy metal and ornamented with a priceless ruby that likely holds magical properties.

"Take a good look, wannabe," Volker continues to gloat; "Pretty impressive, yeah? This sword is just as powerful as my dad's...and a _million_ times better than that puny _backscratcher_ of yours! And it's not just for show either; when I charge this sword with force-energy, it's blade becomes as hot as fire and strong enough to cut through a Dodongo's hide! _But I won't need to charge it with energy at all to cut up that stupid _hat_ of yours into a million pieces!"

Upon saying this, Volker kicks Link's hat off his head and into the dirt in front of him. He holds his sword above it for Link to watch him run the hat through.

"Please, don't..!" pleads Link frantically. "My mother made that hat herself for my father..!" Although he may have felt reluctant to wear it, the hat still holds sentimental value to him.

Hearing this only seems to get Volker all the more interested in destroying it before Link's eyes. "Oh, so it's a _mommy's_ gift, eh?" mocks he. "Ain't that just so sweet... To be still be so attached to your parents at your age like this... Looks like you're even wimpier than I thought! Oh, what a shame you're not participating in the tournament today_a hilarious show like _this_ ought to be in front of a crowd! I'll bet even Princess Zelda would get a big laugh at seeing how unmanly you really are as you cry at the drop of a hat! If only she could see you right now..."

Bruce clears his throat and points; "Hey, speaking of the princess... There she is..!"

Volker quickly turns around in horror. His eyes have widened to the size of golf balls. "Wait_ _WHAT._.?!"

Indeed, Princess Zelda is walking out into the courtyards.

_Walking right this way!

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Now Link and his peers are about to encounter Round 2 with Princess Zelda... The awkwardness is about to heat up once again!**

 **Now for those who've read the original edition: the only significant change made here is that Volker now shows off his magical sword that can be imbued with the power of fire. Other than that, the chapter still plays out the same as before. Likewise, the next chapter won't be much different either, though it does have just a little bit more comedy this time.**


	10. 2-3 The Princess Again

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 2: The Day of Duty_

 **Chapter 3** ** _  
_** _The Princess...Again_

The four recruits are shocked and rather alarmed to see Princess Zelda approaching.

 _What will she think of them fighting like this..?!_

She has not yet noticed the commotion. She is currently still at a distance away and has her head turned in a different direction from them as she eyes the castle's garden. Volker quickly sheathes his sword and steps back from his victim before getting caught. Link takes this opportunity to get up and recollect his hat and sword while Volker is momentarily off his back.

The four recruits immediately fall silent as the princess approaches. They quickly stand to the side and bow in respect as she walks by, just as any guard is supposed to do in the presence of royalty.

She walks right by them...

Then, much to everyone's surprise, she greets them warmly;

"Good day, boys," she says with a smile. "I hope you are all doing your best as recruits."

Shocked that the princess has acknowledged them, the four recruits all nod politely, unsure if they are permitted to speak or not.

Much to Link's horror, she then takes notice...of _him._

"Oh, so we meet again," remarks she. "Say, if you don't mind my asking; is there a reason why you were given a hat with your uniform? I haven't noticed any other recruits wearing one."

Link is overwhelmed with awkwardness and embarrassment to be singled out by the princess in front of his peers once again. Even worse; she just took notice of his hat_right after he had just denied the accusation of wearing it for the sake of being noticed by her!

 _What miserable timing..._

"(She's speaking to _him_ again?!)" the other recruits think to themselves as they witness Zelda address Link. "(Why does Link always end up with the _best_ luck?!)"

Link's own thoughts are quite similar...

Albeit with a contradicting perspective from theirs;

(She's speaking to _me_ again?!)" he thinks to himself. "(Why do I always end up with the _worst_ luck?!)"

The shy recruit stands stammering for a moment before finally replying; "Uh, w-well... I-it's not really...part of the uniform..." he explains awkwardly while avoiding eye-contact. "M-my grandmother just happened to have it lying around a-and liked the way the color matched my uniform..."

 _If only running away was an acceptable option right now..._

"Oh, I see," says the princess with a smile. "Well then, she sure was right about it matching your uniform; I would have thought they were part of a set! It looks very nice on you."

 _Oh no! A compliment! This spells disaster!_

"Um, thanks..." says Link, feeling somewhat reluctant to have to reply to the princess in front of the others but wishing to remain polite.

"You're welcome," says Zelda kindly.

The other recruits stare daggers into Link. The looks on their faces would almost seem comical if not for being directed at him.

Seeing the princess speak to Link, Volker hastily (and rather abruptly) attempts to butt in to get her attention himself; "Uh, a-and this helmet I'm wearing isn't really part of my uniform either..! It's just something I had custom-made for me awhile back!" Clearing his throat and putting on a casual act, he then crosses his arm while subtly pressing his knuckles against his muscles to make them look bigger so Princess Zelda will notice. "It was pretty expensive_but nothing I can't afford, of course."

Volker is putting on such an obvious (and not-so-smooth) display to try and impress Zelda that Link is now beginning to feel more embarrassed for Volker's sake than for his own...

"_Oh. I see," says Zelda after an awkward pause, excusing the abruptness. "Now if you boys will excuse me, I need to be on my way. I hope you will all keep up the good work on your guard duties!"

The four recruits stand in awkward silence as Princess Zelda continues on her way. Once she is out of sight, three pairs of eyes turn to stare at Link, who only stares at the ground. No one has spoken yet, but Link already knows what sort of accusations his fellow recruits are eager to make against him now that the princess has acknowledged him a second time...

 _Especially_ since she has even given him a compliment now.

"Whoa..." says Bruce at last, breaking the silence. " _I_ should've worn a hat with _my_ uniform..!"

"' _No personal relationship with the princess'_ , eh, Link?" says Sven, giving the evil eye.

"I knew it!" shouts Volker, enraged with jealousy. "I _knew_ you wore that hat just to get the Princess to notice you again, Link! You dirty rat! You think you're so clever, don't ya?! You always gotta try and steal the show and be the center of attention! You just can't learn your place, can ya?!"

Link only stands in silence as Volker continues to give him an extensive earful of undeserved belittlement while Bruce and Sven enjoy the leisure of watching. The awful stench of Volker's breath in his face forces the young farmboy to try arduously to fight the urge to vomit.

 _He appears to have had onions recently..._

(Then again, given how seldom Volker brushes his teeth, that stench could easily be from more than a week ago...)

Link understands not why everyone seems so obsessed with the idea of being acknowledged by the princess. He finds the fuss Volker is making over this rather juvenile...

"...You're a lying little scumball!" continues Volker with his belittlement; "A moron! A worthless twerp! You're always stepping out of line! You only _think_ you're better than the rest of us, but you're not! You're just a stupid farmboy whose lowly family doesn't even have it's own surname! _I'm_ the one who's born of a living legend! You're a nobody! And I could whip your butt any old day, you stupid piece of trash! When are you ever going to learn your place?!"

 _Yes, quite juvenile indeed._

Princess Zelda just has a warm and friendly personality and treats everyone as an equal. Link understands and respects this about her. But his peers unfortunately have a rivalry issue over being noticed by her that leads them to be envious of anyone whom she would happen to speak to.

And Link has somehow received the (mis)fortune of being acknowledged by her in front of them.

Twice.

And without even trying either time.

The only thing keeping Link from walking away from this pathetic scenario right now is the fear of Volker physically attacking him for turning his back on him. He is more than vicious enough to do so, and Link would be powerless against him in a fight. Enduring Volker's childish belittlement (and horrid breath) is trivial compared to the strong possibility of broken bones he faces.

Fortunately, an opportunity to escape arrives at last as duty calls the recruits apart...

As Link continues to be berated by Volker, a mysterious stranger approaches. He carries an odd staff in one hand and a frame in the other arm. He is garbed in a cloak as green as the forest.

With a composure calm and formal, he addresses Volker; "Excuse me, but are you Volker Pent?" asks the man. "I have come to deliver a donation of new paintings for the castle halls as a gift for the royal family. I was told by the captain that you would help me unload them."

Volker at last seizes his belittlement towards Link (albeit reluctantly) as the cloaked man addresses him. "Alright. Bring 'em this way..." he responds as he begrudgingly takes a stack of paintings in his arms and prepares to lead the cloaked man into the castle to display them.

He whispers threateningly to Link as he passes him by;

"Don't think you're off the hook yet, wimp... I'll put you in your place once I'm done with this..."

Link remains silent. He gives no reaction.

Volker turns his attention towards Bruce and Sven. He sternly whispers instructions to them before heading off; "Keep an eye on the twerp while I'm gone..! The guests are going to start coming in soon, so make sure he doesn't go anywhere before I get the chance to give him what he's got coming to him while there are no witnesses around yet..."

"No problem, man." agrees Bruce.

"He'll be here for ya," promises Sven.

Once Volker heads into the castle with the new paintings in hand, a confused Bruce turns to Sven with a question;

"So, uh... What's he got coming to him again..?"

"Probably a beating," answers Sven. "He earned it for making us look bad in front of the Princess again!"

"Wait_ What..?!" says Bruce in shock. "We looked _bad?!_ How'd we look bad?! I wasn't even picking my nose this time!"

"I don't mean we _really_ looked bad! I just mean that _Mr. Fancy-Hat_ here had to go and upstage us so that we didn't look as good as we should've!"

"Oh, I get it! So now Volker's going to kick his butt for us so we don't have to, right?"

"That's right. He's an elite recruit, and his dad is Sir Pent, so he can get away with that stuff better than we could."

"Ha ha! Someone's gonna get it!"

"Someone sure is..." Sven concludes as he slowly turns back towards Link. "So we're just going to make sure that you don't try and slip away before_ Uh..."

Upon turning to face Link, the two soon realize that he is nowhere to be seen. They stand in awkward silence as the reality that he has already given them the slip slowly begins to dawn on them.

A cricket chirps.

"Where'd he go..?" asks a dumbfounded Bruce.

* * *

Having easily escaped the watch of Brice and Sven, Link sighs in relief to himself to finally have his overbearing peers behind him. Although normally one to avoid crowds, he decides it would be best to keep his patrol closer to the front gates for the rest of the day where there will be more witnesses around in case Volker should come after him again.

Hurrying to increase the distance between himself and his fellow recruits behind him before they realize he slipped away, Link looks back to make sure they have not followed.

_Nearly causing himself to crash into a bearded man coming in.

"Hey! Watch where you are going, brat!" scolds the man angrily as he narrowly dodges Link with surprisingly fluid movements for his age.

"S-sorry..!" apologizes Link sheepishly, though quite startled himself.

"Hm. Well, never mind that," scoffs the man. "Tell me, boy; have you perhaps seen a man in a green cloak around here?"

"Yes. Right over there, sir..." answers Link politely as he points back behind him. "I don't know if he's the one you're looking for, but there was a man delivering a load of paintings who matched that description just back there... You'll find his cart parked near the side door..."

"Very well. That'll be all." The man continues on his way without another word. Link knows not who he is, but can only assume he must be working with that green-cloaked man in some form.

With Link far behind him, the new visitor quickly finds the cloaked man who delivered the donation of paintings as he unloads them from his cart. The two mysterious men begin to speak in private.

"So," the new visitor whispers. "Is everything going according to plan?"

"Yes, Master Kazama," replies the green-cloaked man. "They accepted the paintings without suspicion and are placing them around the castle halls as we speak..."

"Excellent," says the man, who apparently goes by the name _Kazama_. "We shall execute the plan at the climax of my performance. Just take extra care not to draw attention to yourself... You must let no one find out that you are a Wizzrobe."

"Yes Master..." replies the cloaked figure.

"That foolish Princess Zelda..." snickers Kazama. "Welcoming people of every kind to openly attend her ceremony... Gathering all of Hyrule's swordsmen into one convenient place for elimination... It's as if she was _begging_ the Devastati to strike today! Did she really believe that no one would take advantage of this glorious opportunity that she so graciously granted us? I suppose it is only proper that we repay her generosity with a performance so grand as to make her final birthday an unforgettable day in Hyrule's history..."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! So now the head villain enters the scene and has something sinister in store... I know things have been a little slow up till now, as I've been more focused on introducing the characters while only very subtly foreshadowing some things that are to come, but following the next chapter is where the excitement starts.**

 **Now, for those of you who have already read the original edition; I apologize for the lack of new content so far, but I assure you; that will change soon enough in the chapters to come. The next chapter will mostly be the same, but its ending moment may interest you...**


	11. 2-4 New Arrivals

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 2: The Day of Duty_

 **Chapter 4  
** _New Arrivals_

The hour of Hyrule Castle's opening to the public has arrived, and guests of every kind fill the castle's grounds and halls. Link's grandmother has yet to arrive, but considering she will likely get a ride with Talon and Malon, and Talon usually does tend to run late for everything, it could be anywhere from five minutes to another two hours before she will show.

Link stands guard near the gates. His position has done well in helping him avoid Volker. A commanding voice soon calls out to announce the arrival of some of Princess Zelda's expected guests;

"MAKE WAY! ROYALTY COMING THROUGH! MA-A-AKE WAYYYYY!"

Link looks on from the sidelines as the newest visitors make their entrance. It is the Zora tribe; an aquatic race resembling a cross between a human and a fish. Talk about their arrival has been going around a lot these past days. Zoras are seldom seen around Castle Town, and Link has only ever seen one from afar...and never so many at once. He cannot help but take a closer look at them as they come by. _They look cool!_

Their royal attendant walks in front of the party. He wears a monocle on his left eye and appears to be growing advanced in his years. Nonetheless, he is able to call out quite audibly (perhaps even a tad louder than necessary) as he leads the others through the crowd.

"EVERYONE TO THE SI-I-I-I-DE! CLEAR A PATH FOR THE ROYAL ZORA-A-A-A!"

Actually, Link almost wishes the old Zora _WOULD_ lose his voice... _That is ridiculously loud..!_

They arrive carrying their own princess seated atop her transportable throne, with a servant to support each of the four corners. She appears to be about the same age as Princess Zelda, and has been acquainted with her for some time. Although Zora normally wear little to no clothing due to living in water and already being clad in scales, but the princess, likely as a sign of her nobility, is dressed in a pearl-white, waterproof toga designed to leave plenty of fin-room so that it remains easy to swim in.

She is adorned in much jewelry, including a tiara specially designed to fit her large head with a steady grip, elegant cuffs on her upper-arms, a pearl-bracelet on her left-wrist and another on her right-ankle, golden earrings that resemble seaweed, a metallic buckler around her waist decorated with many rubies and sapphires, and a gold necklace bearing more rubies and sapphires as well as the tribal symbol of her people, and a similarly designed bracelet on her right-wrist.

But the most interesting thing about her is the mysterious-looking staff that she carries in her hand;

Link cannot make out what sort of material it is made from, as it partially resembles coral but also looks like it could be made from some sort of seashell_or possibly even carved from something else entirely. But whatever the material may be, it seems radiant. Almost as if illuminated from within. The top of the staff is shaped like a split fin, with one side larger than the other and sharpened to function like a melee weapon if needed. Between the bladed split is a ruby sphere that appears to hold magical properties of some sort, and there is a ring of red jewels encircling the rod's center.

Behind her, four more Zoras carry the throne of the young prince, who appears to be in his preadolescent years at the very oldest. He is dressed much more lightly than his older sister, wears some jewelry -mostly made from seashells, a few gemstones, and of rustproof metals- as well as some sort of strange amulet, but he is not nearly as adorned as the princess is.

Right behind the prince, the Zora carry their ruler; King Zora De Bon VII, who is so large and heavy that his throne requires not merely four but twelve strong Zoras -three on each corner- to carry it. And they still appear to do so only with difficulty.

The poles used to carry it even seem to be slightly bending from all the weight...

Despite his current obesity, this King Zora was once a mighty warrior whose skills on the battlefield were quite formidable back in the day. Of course, that was all a long time ago, and he has now grown so large and nonathletic that he can no longer even walk on his own.

The servants in the front pass Link with their princess seated upon the throne carried over their shoulders. The young Hylian happens to turn his gaze in her direction as she passes.

Only to be met with her own.

 _Awkward, awkward, awkward!_

Blue and violet eyes lock unintentionally. She looks down at him coldly from her throne with a countenance full of both boredom and contempt. "(What's with the green getup?)" she thinks disdainfully to herself at the sight of him. "(As if humans didn't look ridiculous enough already! Wait_ Is that runt supposed to be one of the _GUARDS?!_ How pathetic! _Ugh_... I just wish this stupid ceremony was already over with. Zelda's taste in guests makes me sick...)"

Link hastily averts his gaze from hers and stares only at the ground to avoid making further eye-contact. He dares not to raise his eyes again until he is certain all of the Zoras have passed him by, lest he risk another uncomfortable moment of accidentally locking eyes again. _How embarrassing!_

 _It seems like these awkward encounters with royalty have been inevitable lately..._

As the passing Zora enter the castle, Link hears another voice call out. This time addressing him from behind; "Hey, you there! You're a recruit, right?" The young Hylian turns to see who addresses him. He is fairly surprised when his eyes meet the person in question;

 _A Goron!_

"I've got a load of fireworks here that need to be set up for the evening-finale!" the Goron continues. "Would you help me unload 'em?"

Link nods silently and follows the Goron to his cart. Upon it are twelve heavy crates full of firecrackers.

"Careful with that," warns the Goron as he hands Link a crate. "It's fragile stuff."

Although the Goron makes lifting it look easy, it proves to be quite heavy once Link receives it into his arms. But not so much that the young Hylian would be incapable of carrying it.

_Until the Goron adds a second one to his load. "...And here's another."

The weight now unbearable, Link immediately falls over.

 _*Thud!*_

The Goron notices not. He effortlessly takes stacks of two crates in each arm. "Now where's the stairs to the rooftops?"

Setting one of the crates down for later, Link gets back to his feet. "This way..." he says with a strained grunt. "Follow me."

The Goron gives him a judgmental look. "Wait_ You're only going to carry _one_ crate at a time..?"

"I'm afraid that's all I can carry..." Link replies sheepishly, trying not to let his struggle to carry his single crate show _too_ much.

" _Humph._ Whatever..."

As Link leads the Goron through the castle as requested, he cannot help but feel incompetent in the mighty stone-man's presence. This Goron is _HUGE_. Even Sir Pent would seem small in comparison. And the way he is able to carry four heavy crates at once with no sign of effort whereas Link struggles to carry even just _one_ is somewhat intimidating.

Still, it is also somewhat of a treat to get to see a real live Goron up close like this, as their tribe has been very seclusive as of late. They typically live in mountains and volcanic environments and are seldom seen around Castle Town except for on occasional business at the market, but even that has been scarce in recent years. This is the first time Link has ever seen one.

This one wears a dusty sumo-loincloth around his waist, similar looking wrappings around his wrists, and red pads on his shoulders that bear the crest of Din: Hyrule's golden goddess of power. The symbol of his own tribe is permanently painted on his upper-arms. He has long, white hair and a thick beard. Upon his head is a protective mask that can be worn over his face to shield it from potential harm while working with explosives, or folded over the top of his head to double as a helmet. He looks like he may be growing a little advanced in his years, but is obviously still very strong and fit for his age. This Goron likely will not be looking into retirement anytime soon.

 _He does seem like the grumpy sort, though..._

The Goron takes a look around upon reaching the rooftops. "So _this_ is the place?" he asks with a tone of disapproval. "Isn't there any shade around here? I can't just leave my fireworks laying out here in the sun all day until nightfall! Didn't anyone think to prepare a tent or something if they expect me to set up fireworks around here?!"

"I can go ask one of the castle's officials about it if you'd like, sir..." Link offers, still struggling to carry the heavy crate in his arms.

The Goron responds not. He stands in place with his back to the Hylian.

Conspicuously silent.

"Uh. Sir..?" Link asks, unsure if the Goron heard him.

Still no reaction. The confused Hylian is left looking at the stone shell of the Goron's backside blocking him from the doorway and keeping him from advancing to where he needs to put the weighty crate he is still struggling to carry.

 _Why the sudden cold shoulder..?_

His backside still turned to the Hylian behind him and keeping his face from view, the Goron's eyes twitch as they seem to roll towards the back of his head. He is starting to froth at the mouth just slightly.

"S-sir..?!" Link repeats, unaware of the Goron's condition and eager for a response so he can finally set down this heavy load.

The Goron snaps to. "Wha_?! What'd ya say..?"

"I said I can ask one of the castle's officials about setting up some shade for your firecrackers..!" Link says more audibly.

"Alright," says the Goron as if nothing out of the ordinary just happened. "You do that while I go back to the cart and get the rest of the haul myself."

Link nods and sets down the crate, more than happy to relieve his aching muscles from the burden. The Goron, seeing his weariness, rolls his eyes at the small Hylian's incompetence.

" _Humph!_ Humans sure are pathetic!" he mumbles to himself while setting down his own load. "How do they even survive on such puny strength anyway? Even _with_ that kid's help, this would still take me _three_ trips either way! Ah, well... At Least _I'm_ the one getting paid for this."

Feeling a sudden surge of pain, he quickly places a hand on his own forehead once the Hylian has left his presence. He briefly lets out a crazed growl before snapping back to his senses again.

"Ugh... It's getting worse everyday..." he pants wearily to himself. "I can't...keep fighting it much longer..."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Some very significant characters have now made their first appearance (and yes, this King Zora De Bon VII is the ancestor of _Ocarina of Time's_ King Zora De Bon XVI, as this story is set some 300 years or so before OoT). More will be shown about these characters later, but the next chapter is where Link will make his first encounter with danger! Stay tuned!**

 **Now for those who've read the original story: there are two small but significant tweaks here... First up, the Zora King and Prince have both been renamed from "Ralis" to just plain "Zora". I always found it odd how King Zora De Bon XVI was only named "Zora" in OoT, and so I originally tried to pass that off as his mere title instead of his actual name by giving his bloodline the name of the Zora prince from _Twilight Princess._ B** **ut this time I decided to do things a little differently. Rather than trying to work around and deny King Zora's odd name, I realized that I could instead embrace it and make it play a role in the Zora's story. (You'll see what I mean later on)**

 **The second and more eye-catching change is the Goron's strange condition... What could be going on with him now? Only time will tell...**


	12. 2-5 Into the Darkness Below

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 2: The Day of Duty_

 **Chapter 5** _  
Into the Darkness Below_

At the Goron's request, Link heads back into the castle in search of an official to see what can be done for providing shade on the rooftops for the dormant fireworks. While walking through the halls, he takes a look at the new paintings as he passes them. They are placed throughout all the castle's halls that will be accessible to the public today. _What a surprisingly large amount of paintings to be donated in one day!_

He had not the chance to get a look at them as they were brought in, but they appear to each depict different kinds of monsters known across Hyrule; _Darknuts, Wolfos, Bokoblins, Moblins, etc._ Whoever painted them must be a very talented artist, as each of the paintings have such impressive detail that they almost look as if they could come to life at any moment.

One particular painting placed near the entrance to the library catches the young recruit's eye...

It depicts a terrifying Lynel: one of the most dangerous monsters known to exist. Link cannot help but take a moment to marvel at the ferociously lifelike image.

Like a centaur; it has the upper-body of a man and the lower-body of a horse, but its head is like that of a lion with the addition of horns. Its body is mostly dark in color, but its mane is a bright red like the blood of its victims. It holds a heavy sword in just one hand and a large shield in the other. Its yellow eyes look so menacingly lifelike that it almost feels to Link as if they are staring right back down at him from within the painting...wishing to devour him alive.

Although he is well aware that it is only a painting, looking upon those malicious eyes still manages to send chills down the young Hylian's spine as if he was standing in the presence of a real Lynel. Never before has Link known any painting so lifelike that it could make him feel as though his actual life is under threat just by looking upon it like this. _Did the same artist who made this also do all the others?_ He is intrigued to find out.

He looks closely around the frame, but finds no label crediting the amazing artist responsible for this astounding painting. _Perhaps the artist included their signature somewhere on the painting itself?_ Link thoroughly inspects the image in search for such a signature_but finds none. However, something of interest within the painting does catch his eye upon closer examination...

Upon the Lynel's right arm appears to be a purple mark that looks somewhat out of place. The exact pattern is impossible to make out for certain due to the angle of view that the man-beast is depicted in, but it appears to be some sort of emblem. Oddly enough, the left arm lacks any such mark, despite being the one that faces the viewer more clearly.

A strange detail. Link cannot help but find its placement illogical. If the artist thought it significant enough to take the time and effort to include such an intricate detail on the Lynel's body, would it not have made more sense to display it someplace where it is at least visible? But with this sort of placement, it is but an indecipherable design with no explanation. _What is it supposed to represent if it cannot even be seen properly?_

As Link examines the painting, Torn and Cliff come along. They are two of the few trainees whose swordsmanship received enough recognition from Sir Pent that they were granted blue tunics with their recruit uniforms to be stationed inside the castle.

They look scornfully at their green-garbed colleague. Their eyes burn with contempt.

"What do you think _you're_ doing in here..?!" demands Cliff. Viciousness apparent in his voice.

"Recruits given the green uniform are supposed to be positioned _outside_ the castle!" scolds Torn. "You don't belong in here!"

Intimidated, Link nervously tries to explain; "I-I was just looking for one of the castle officials..! Th-this Goron had asked me to help carry in these crates, and_"

Torn cuts him off; "You don't need to call in a castle official to just carry in a couple of crates!" he interrupts without letting Link finish. "Get back to your position and quit thinkin' you can just make up your own rules!"

"Believe me; I-I'm not making up my own rules..!" says Link. "The Goron had requested a tent for shading the firecrackers he's unloading so that they won't be out in the sun all day, and so I need to talk to_"

Once again, Link is interrupted by Torn before he can finish; "Then get him the stupid tent and get your butt outta here, troublemaker!" shouts the blue-garbed recruit.

"I was only_" Link begins to say_but freezes into silence when Cliff stomps closer and gives his signature death-stare. His hateful eyes as frightening as those of the Lynel in the painting, they speak the words he intends to the green-garbed recruit with absolute clarity without him having any need to even move his lips;

 _'If you dare to utter even a single syllable in question to my superiority over you, I will personally tear you from limb to limb before you can finish that sentence'_

There is nothing Link can possibly say in protest to that. "_I'll be on my way then..." he utters weakly before taking off.

Although Link has done no wrong, Torn is not one to listen long enough to allow someone to get even a word in edgewise, and Cliff's glare is enough to silence almost anyone without a word. Talking to them is quite futile. It is all he can do to speed away in fear before they gang up on him. Returning to his task, the green-garbed recruit gets back to seeking an official.

One who will actually _listen_ long enough to let him finish a sentence instead of immediately assuming that he is merely stepping out of line.

He comes across numerous elite recruits donning red tunics. Most of them he recognizes not in the slightest, but they must obviously be well acquainted with and trusted by Sir Pent to be given the honor of being elite recruits. He asks a number of them about setting up shade on the rooftop for the Goron's fireworks, or at least directing him to someone who can help, but unfortunately none of them seem to be able to provide any answers and only tell him to ask someone else.

After asking around for awhile, Link eventually speaks with one of the main guards and tells him of the situation. "We should have something in the castle's basement storage," the guard answers. "Here, take this key to the lower dungeons. You should see a map of the floor near the door. That'll show you where the storage room is."

Thanking the guard politely, Link receives the key and heads down to the basement. "(Well, _that_ sure took longer than expected!)" thinks the young recruit to himself as he makes his way towards the dungeon entrance. "(Having asked so many elite recruits, you'd think at least _one_ of them would have been able to help. But then again, I suppose none of them are regulars here, so I can't just assume they'd have any answers... _Actually, I had no idea that so many elite recruits were even hired. I wonder what kinds of jobs they're given that we'd need so many today?)"

When Link reaches the door to the lower dungeons he is blocked by an elite recruit standing guard there. "Hold it!" orders the recruit angrily, stopping Link with his halberd. "This way leads to the basement dungeons! No one of lower ranks such as yourself is allowed down there unless by official order!"

"But I _am_ on official order," Link explains. "One of the main guards even lent me this key himself to go down there..."

The elite recruit's countenance quickly changes from scorn to surprise and embarrassment upon hearing this. "Oh! Uh. I see..." says the recruit awkwardly as he lowers his weapon. "W-well, in that case... Go right on through... I guess... Just...don't stay down there too long, alright?"

Link nods and proceeds on his way.

The recruit seems reluctant to allow Link to pass, almost as if he is still unsure if Link should really be down there.

 _He is probably just taking his work too seriously..._

The dungeon floor is incredibly dark. Fortunately, Link has his lantern on hand. He had brought it with today knowing that he will not be released from duty until after nightfall and will likely be walking home in the dark. Lighting the lantern, he finds the map of the dungeon's floor near the door just as the guard had said. He makes his way though the dark and empty halls to where the storage room is said to be located.

 _Wait_ What was that sound..?_

Link looks around in the surrounding darkness. He could have sworn he had just heard movement.

Detecting nothing, he continues on his way.

Walking further through the corridors, he hears it once again. _Is someone there..?_

"H-hello..?" the green-garbed recruit calls awkwardly.

...

There is no response. _Perhaps he was just hearing things..._

Once again, he continues on his way.

_But then hears more movement in the darkness.

"I-is somebody there..?" he calls out, more audibly this time.

...

Again, there is no response.

Moving on, Link at last reaches the storage room and finds the tent materials he came for among the clutter. Gathering it into a bundle and taking it in his arms, he proceeds to head back up to the castle's rooftops.

On his way out of the dungeons, he hears movement once more...

This time it is unmistakable.

"Who's there..?!" Link calls out. He is beginning to worry.

There is still no response.

Unsettled, he raises his lantern and begin to scan the area more thoroughly. His heart beats rapidly against his chest in trepidation.

 _*Thump! Thump! Thump!*_

Stepping into a dark corridor, Link jolts in surprise at what he finds;

Several shapes are hiding in the shadows along the ceiling!

"He found us out!" calls a sinister voice in alarm.

"Don't just hang there!" says another. "Kill him! Now!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! The first real battle is about to commence! I hope you'll enjoy the action, but if not; you all get your money back! -Wait... This is a non-profit story, so you didn't pay any money to read it... Never mind, then! No refunds for you! LOL**

 **Now for those who've read the original edition: you'll see the only big change in this chapter is that Link stops to admire a notable painting of a Lynel. The Lynel paintings were only casually mentioned before, but this time one is actually given some specific attention. Make note of it! But as for the changes to the next chapter; well, it's still pretty similar to how it was before...but now the battle will end a little differently and carry on into the chapter after that! You'll see what I mean...**


	13. 2-6 Monsters in the Basement

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 2: The Day of Duty_

 **Chapter 6  
** _Monsters in the Basement_

The halls of Hyrule Castle continue to fill as the guests enjoy Princess Zelda's celebration.

Tours of the castle are given, dancing is being held in the ballroom, an elaborate buffet is served in the dining-room, and people from all across Hyrule -and even some from places as far away as Holodrum or Hytopia- are gathered and welcomed alike regardless of social or political status.

As the many guests partake in the celebration, they all remain completely unaware of what is taking place in the dungeons below...

* * *

Dropping the bundle he was carrying, Link ducks out of the way as an attacking bat-like creature swoops down at him without warning. He soon realize what the creature is;

 _An Ache!_

The Aches are a race of large, bat-like monsters with magical abilities that allow them to change shape. They are usually fairly weak, but they are cunning.

Link knows not how they managed to make their way into Hyrule Castle's lower dungeons, but now is not the time to ponder that...

Not when several more are swooping at him right now!

Drawing his sword and shield, he blocks one incoming Ache and slashes at another.

The Aches are not alone. The young Hylian finds himself ambushed by several Rope serpents as well.

Link frantically fends off both the Aches and Ropes alike with his blade, slicing them in two as they try to strike. It is fortunate that neither monster species attacking now are very powerful ones. Their numbers rapidly reducing, the monsters begin to withdraw in their attack.

Seeing his opportunity to escape, Link recollects the bundle he came for while still keeping a firm grip on his sword and shield and attempts to flee the dungeon. He dashes straight for the door by which he came.

He does not get far. He is soon intercepted by a red Ache swooping down into his path. "Not so fast, human!" it orders. Upon landing, the Ache transforms before the Hylian's eyes into the form of a large, hominoid bat.

This shape is an Acheman; a far more formidable form that Aches can assume when they have grown powerful enough. It becomes far less aerodynamic in this form, but much more deadly in battle.

Dropping the bundle once again, Link readies his sword and shield for combat. Sweat pours down from his head like a waterfall. His heart continues to beat hard against his chest in trepidation.

 _*Thump! Thump! Thump!*_

He never imagined the need to actually fight today would arise_especially not single-handed. This may be the end, as he is still only a novice at swordsmanship, and an Acheman is a far more formidable opponent than any regular Ache...

But he has no choice but to fight. It is his only option now.

The Acheman spews a fireball at Link, which he blocks it with his shield.

It swoops at him with great speed. But Link narrowly manage to sidestep the attack and counter with a spinning blow from his sword.

 _*Slash!*_

The Acheman is wounded. It screeches in pain. "AAARGH! You... _pest_..!"

It continues to frantically spew fireballs at Link with great rage.

 _*Fwoom! Fwoom! Fwoom!*_

Link blocks the attacks with his shield and rushes in with his sword for the finishing blow.

Lunging forward, he manages to stab the Acheman in the chest.

Killing it.

The Acheman's body begins to slowly burn away in a combustion of black embers; a common trait among monsters upon being destroyed.

Link stands in awe at his accomplishment; he has just won a _real_ battle!

But then again, that Acheman was not nearly as properly armed for battle as he, so it may not have been _too_ great of a feat. Either way, now is no time for celebration. That was only a single enemy, and there are still more lurking about.

Many more.

Picking up the bundle once again, the Hylian swordsman dashes straight towards the exit as fast as his legs can move. He frantically strikes with his sword at every Ache or Rope that comes near as he runs.

As he approaches the exit, he is intercepted again. Not by one Acheman, but by two.

"Don't let him escape!" says one Acheman.

"We've got him now!" says the other.

Unlike the first, these two both have spears in hand.

With his poor swordsmanship, Link quickly concludes that he stands not a chance at overcoming them both with his blade the same way as he defeated the unarmed one before.

If he is to stand any chance at surviving this...he will need to take them down before they reach him.

Dropping not only the bundle to the floor, but also his sword and shield, Link quickly draws his bow. The dungeon's halls are dark, but he can see enough from his lantern's light to know where the Achemen stand, and they do not have any protective armor on that he will need to aim around, so this will not require specific precision.

One Acheman stands from afar and spews fireballs at Link while the other swoops in with its spear.

Link sidesteps the fireballs and hits the incoming Acheman with an arrow from his bow as it attempts to run him through.

With that one down and wounded, he fires at the other.

 _*Twang!*_

It tries to move out of the way, but its wing is pierced by the arrow.

Link picks his sword back up and finishes off the first Acheman as it lies wounded on the floor in shock.

 _*Stab!*_

With one enemy down, Link focuses on the other. He frantically dodges several fireballs that the surviving Acheman continues to spew at him.

 _*Fwoom! Fwoom! Fwoom!*_

A number of lesser Aches begin to intervene and attack. They encircle Link relentlessly.

Struggling to both evade fireballs _and_ fight off Aches at the same time, the Hylian swordsman is hit by one of the fireballs in the back.

Crying out in pain, he quickly rolls on the ground to extinguish the flames before he catches fire. As he gets back to his feet, he spins around with his blade and slays three Aches at once.

 _*Slash!*_

With their interference out of the way, he once again draws his bow and fires another arrow at the Acheman.

 _*Twang!*_

The Acheman's arm is pierced, causing it cry out and to drop its spear.

Link comes in close and delivers the finishing blow with his sword.

 _*Stab!*_

The dying Acheman collapses on the ground. Its body begins to wither away. Panting hard, the young Hylian stands in shock at his triumph. He did not expect to make it out of that alive.

 _But there is no time to waste!_ The door is just within reach. Link quickly gathers the bundle he came for back into his arms along with his shield, hasting to escape before anything else happens.

But before he can do so, another voice calls out; "Snatch it! Now!"

Following this command, something swoops down from the shadows!

 _*Fwoosh!*_

Link immediately realizes what just happened... An Ache has snatched his bow from his side during that brief instant that he was collecting the other stuff he had set down!

 _*Slam!*_

The door leading out is hastily shut. Another Acheman stands before the doorway with a key in hand as it locks the Hylian intruder in. Unlike the previous three, this one is wearing a suit of mail armor over its torso and wields a halberd. It clearly had more time to prepare for battle than the others did.

"Not so tough without your bow, are you?" it taunts. "Let's see how you fight up close...three against one!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!** **Also, I'm happy to see that this story has started getting reviews again!** **Anyhow, if you are wondering what the "Ache" and "Acheman" are; they're enemies from _Zelda II: The Adventure of Link_. They have not appeared in any other games since then, which means that they are not very well-known enemies of the Legend of Zelda series, so it's quite understandable if you didn't recognize them. I intend to use a lot of nearly-forgotten LoZ enemies throughout this fanfic alongside the better recognized ones to make it an all-around tribute to the series.**

 **Now for those who've read the original edition: as you can see, the battle still plays out the same as before...but now the Aches have swiped Link's bow and are forcing him to finish the fight without it! The second half of this battle is something completely new. I hope you'll like the** **extension** **!**


	14. 2-7 Triple Trouble

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 2: The Day of Duty_

 **Chapter 7  
** _Triple Trouble_

Two more Aches, one wielding Link's own bow, land beside the armored one and transform into Achemen as well. They grab the spears from the two fallen ones that had just been defeated.

The Acheman to the left, who had seized Link's bow, inspects the wooden weapon in its clutches. "So _this_ is what you humans use for ranged attacks?" It then cuts the string and tosses the bow over its shoulder in favor of the spear it now holds. "Ha ha! Who needs a stringed toy to shoot with when you can just spew fireballs from your mouth!"

"Let's finish him quickly, boys!" the armored one orders. "He's seen too much!"

"And he wouldn't have lived to see anything at all if _you_ would have just done your job right and ran him through as soon as he entered!" remarks the Acheman to the right.

"Hey! If I had done that from the start, someone outside might have noticed!" the armored one defensively protests. "If the rest of you guys would have just stayed quiet and still for just a _few_ lousy minutes, then he wouldn't have even had to notice we were here!"

"Oh, shut up and let's just kill the little punk already!" the one to the right scoffs. "There'll be time for arguing blame later!"

"Attack from a distance!" the one to the left advises. "He can't fight back from afar without his bow!"

"You both took the words right out of my mouth!" the armored one agrees. "Now get him! Let's spread out and take him from each side!"

The three Achemen begin spewing fireballs at Link from three different directions. He blocks some with his shield and sidesteps others.

But he will not be able to keep this up for long.

The battle seems futile. Fighting three against one is too much for even an expert swordsman to handle unless he is also an expert on magic. Moving in closer to attack with his blade would only put Link at a major disadvantage because of his enemies' advantage in numbers. The odds of surviving this fight are bleak if he cannot first wound them from afar before they can close in and surround him. But without his bow, Link's enemies are the only ones capable of using ranged attacks right now.

Unless...

He can turn their own projectiles against them...

Link focuses on a fireball from one of the Achemen as it comes flying towards him.

 _*Fwoom!*_

Remembering his training under Sir Pent, he counters with a well-timed shield-parry to send the projectile back to the attacker.

 _*Pow!*_

The unsuspecting Acheman drops its spear and screeches out in shock and pain as it takes a blow to the face with its own fireball. "Aaaaauughh! My eyes! It burns!"

Link takes advantage of the stunned Acheman's moment of daze and rushes towards it with his sword while blocking the others' incoming fireballs with his shield. By the time the dazed Acheman opens its eyes to see, it is too late to react.

 _*Slash!*_

Link slays the Acheman with his sword. Its remaining comrades are thrown into panic.

"What th_?! How'd he do that?!" exclaims one of the surviving Achemen in alarm.

"Never mind!" the armored one orders. "Just keep attacking!"

The surviving Achemen continue to spew fireballs at Link with all the more ferocity. But the crafty Hylian counters with another shield-parry in between blocking and dodging to send another fireball back to the armored Acheman.

 _*Fwoom! _Pow!*_

"Gyaaaahh!" the armored one cries as its face is burned. "Forget attacking from a distance! Just get him!"

Link attempts to rush in and finish the armored one while it is dazed, but its comrade intercepts his path and attacks up close with its spear. "So you _can_ fight without a bow, eh? But you still can't beat _both_ of us at once when we gang up on you!" the unarmored one taunts before calling out to its ally; "Cover me!" It then uses its fire-breath to light its wooden spear aflame before engaging Link in combat.

Link blocks, dodges, and parries the Acheman's attacks as best as he can while frantically trying to keep his distance from that flaming spearhead.

Recovering from its daze, the armored Acheman begins spewing fireballs at Link to assist its ally who attacks up close without leaving its own position blocking the door.

Things look bleak. Close combat is where Link had always struggled most in swordsman-training, and the fact that his opponent is assisted by an ally attacking from afar only makes his chances of triumphing all the more slim for the rookie swordsman.

 _Unless..._

As the Acheman swings its burning spear at Link, the young Hylian quickly jumps out of the spear's reach.

_And closer towards an incoming fireball spewed at him from the armored Acheman.

Swinging his shield at the right timing and angle, he parries the fireball aimed at him towards the nearby Acheman instead.

 _*Pow!*_

The Acheman is caught by surprise as the fireball from its ally intended to assist in defeating their enemy is instead redirected to itself. It screeches in agony upon taking the blow, which is immediately followed by a flurry of slashes from a Hylian blade in its moment of daze.

 _*Slash! Slash! Slash!*_

The armored Acheman stares agape as its remaining ally is severed, falling by Link's hand as a result of its own fireball. "You_ You're tougher than you look, I'll admit..." the baffled fiend remarks. "But _I_ won't go down so easily! I'm much more competent than _those_ lunkheads were! And now that I've caught on to your tricks, they're not going to work anymore! Your life ends now!"

The armored Acheman bares its fangs in rage. Link positions his sword and shield for the next attack. Both warriors lock determined eyes, fully prepared to go all out in this final fight of life or death.

But with this remaining Acheman being so much better armed for battle than the previous ones, and having observed enough of Link's fighting style to know what to expect, it is quite likely that this final foe will hold true to its words about not going down as easily as its allies did just now...

Standing its ground in front of the door to keep the Hylian from passing, the armored Acheman inhales a breath of air to spew another fireball.

 _*Fwoom!*_

The fireball escapes the fiend's gaping mouth and flies toward Link. He shield-parries to send it back to the Acheman just as before.

But the Acheman has already caught on to this strategy. It swings its halberd and sends it right back towards Link again!

The young Hylian blocks with his shield. But his timing is too late to send it back again. The fireball bursts upon collision.

"Ha ha! Looks like _two_ can play at this game!" the arrogant Acheman taunts before spewing another fireball. Link parries with his shield, but his enemy continues to parry it right back again with its halberd. The two are soon engaged in a round of _'Dead-man's Volley'._

 _*Fwoom! Fwoom! Fwoom!*_

As the fireball continues to be passed back and forth between the Hylian and the Acheman, the latter decides to speed things up. "Let's see how you handle _this!_ " exclaims the fiend before spewing a second fireball while parrying the first.

 _*Fwoom!*_

As the twin fireballs come his way, Link recalls the afterthought he had during his training session under Sir Pent last week. He quickly folds his shield-arm over his chest while positioning his sword-arm to swing. Though he has not yet had the chance to test this technique, since swordsman-training has been less active this past week in favor of preparing for the recruitment, but this may be his only chance...

As the first fireball reaches him, Link quickly swings his sword with his left-arm to parry it back towards the Acheman, which would normally leave his chest open to the following projectile, but with his shield to his chest, he immediately follows with a swing of his right-arm to shield-parry the second fireball as it nearly hits him, sending both fireballs back to the Acheman who spewed them.

The Acheman is caught by surprise. It never imagined Link would be able to parry _two_ fireballs in such rapid succession like that. It tries to parry them itself, but is unable to do so with just a single weapon.

 _*Pow! Pow!*_

"Gyaaaaauughh..!" cries the hellion in agony as it takes both fireballs and is knocked off its feet.

Though shocked at himself for being able to pull off such a technique without any previous practice, Link wastes no time taking advantage of this opportunity to strike while his opponent is down.

 _Time to finish this!_

He rushes upon the Acheman with sword in hand. Finding an opening in the fiend's collar where its armor does not cover, he thrusts in his blade. "Hyyyeeeaahh!"

 _*Stab!*_

The Acheman lets out a painful wail as Link's sword penetrates its flesh. It lies numbly on the ground and weakly utters its last words;

"I_ I...sh-should have...n-never...let...you_"

Its final breath escapes its mouth before its sentence is completed. Its eyes roll to the back of its head and its body soon begins to wither away into dark smoke with a putrid stench.

As the Acheman's carcass breaks apart, Link briefly makes out a peculiar pattern or emblem of some sort upon its forehead before it completely withers. Thinking back on it, he recalls seeing such a marking on the others' foreheads as well, though he had not the time to notice it before, nor the efficient lighting to make the symbol out very well. He knows not what the marking is, but that is of low importance right now.

Looking around for more enemies, Link hastily recollects his bow and the bundle that he came for. He then seizes the key from the armored Acheman's remains so that no other monsters can use it and makes a rush for the exit before anything else attacks.

Upon making it out the door, he slams it shut and hastily locks it behind himself to prevent any monsters from coming through.

Catching his breath, the shaken swordsman looks around for the elite recruit who was guarding the door when he had gone down there.

But the recruit is nowhere to be seen...

Judging by his skeptical attitude before, Link supposes that the elite recruit likely went off to ask an authorized official to see if it really was okay or not to have allowed him into the basement as he did.

Still, if that recruit had _not_ left his position, he likely would have heard the commotion and could have came down to assist in that battle just now. But that matters not. And Link is much too shaken and horrified by his experience to care.

Extinguishing the lantern on his belt, he looks to the key in his hand. _Not the one he was lent by the guard earlier, but the one that the armored Acheman had. He deduces that the monsters must have either found or stolen it from somewhere, as it seems _HIGHLY_ unlikely that anyone would entrust them with an official key to the castle. But the real question is; _what is going on?_

Link knows not how those monsters had gotten into the basement undetected, what they were doing down there, nor how long they have been there, but whatever the case, one thing is certainly clear;

What he has just discovered _must_ be reported to Sir Pent.

Immediately.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the battle. There will be many more in the near future, which will grow more intense as Link acquires new allies and abilities, so I hope you're looking forward to it!**

 **For those of you who have read the original edition: I hope the way this battle was extended was satisfying for you. I'll try to make changes like this to all of the other upcoming battles as well to keep them fresh, and even add a few new battles that weren't present in the original. Now, as for the changes in the following chapter; it's pretty much the same as before, except that Talon and Malon now replace the random bystander who had caught Link in an awkward moment, and several unnecessary lines of extra dialogue have now been scrapped to pick up the pace, so you can just skip to Ch. 2-9 if you'd rather.**


	15. 2-8 It's a Secret to Everybody

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 2: The Day of Duty_

 **Chapter 8  
** _It's a Secret to Everybody_

"Monsters in the basement?!" Sir Pent exclaims in shock as Link tells him the news. "What are you saying?! And how would you have gotten into the basement when the castle dungeons were supposed to be closed off to all but authorized officials?!"

Sir Pent is the only knight of high honor to have duty this day; most others have received the day off to participate in Princess Zelda's celebration, but Pent volunteered to manage the Royal Guard for the day and be in charge of the temporary recruits while everyone else is off celebrating.

"The Goron hired for the fireworks had requested a tent to shade his firecrackers on the roof from the sun..." Link explains. "I was permitted to go down there to retrieve one by one of the main guards, and when I was there, I was attacked by a group of Aches and Ropes..." The green-garbed recruit presents Sir Pent with the key acquired from the Acheman he had defeated near the door to the dungeon. "I found this key in their possession. I'm thinking they must have found or stolen it somewhere and used it to gain entry..."

Link wisely avoids giving the details of how he fought off the monsters single-handed as they attacked him, since he does not wish to mention something that would risk arousing disbelief from Sir Pent and cause him to disregard Link's tale as a mere lie to gain recognition.

"I see..." says Sir pent with concern as he takes the key into his hand. "Does anyone else know of this yet?"

"No, sir. When I made it out, the recruit guarding the door was no longer there, and so I came straight to you to report it..."

"Very well. If no one knows yet, then we should not cause panic. This is meant to be a day for celebration, after all. This is likely the only key the monsters had acquired, and so they should hopefully have no way in or out again without it. I'll head down there myself with an armed posse to investigate. If we deem it necessary to alert others for reinforcements or evacuation, I will do so, but for now, make sure you tell absolutely no one about this. And I do mean _no one;_ not even the other guards. It's a secret to _everybody_. Is that clear?"

Link nods in understanding.

"Good," says Pent. "Now return to your duties and forget all about what you saw for now. Just leave everything to me."

Link nods again and heads back to the rooftop with the bundle of tent materials in hand. He arrives to find the Goron from before waiting impatiently.

"There you are!" the stone-man barks upon seeing him. "It's about time you showed up! What took you so long?!"

"Sorry..." Link apologizes. "I ran into some...unexpected complications..."

After helping set up the tent, the young recruit heads back down through the castle and returns the key he had borrowed from the guard. After that, he proceeds to return to his post outside. On his way back through the castle, he happens to spot Drew and Davis; two more fellow trainees to have been given blue tunics and stationed within the castle. They appear to be snickering about something as they look over the railing down to the guests on the floor below.

 _Not a good sign..._

Drew and Davis have always been very competitive towards each other and are typically seen fighting. Seeing the two brothers laughing together like this usually means that they are ganging up on someone else to cause trouble for.

"Ten points for getting the bald guy down there!" exclaims Drew.

"Are you really going to do it, man?" Davis questions.

"Watch me!" Drew insists before gathering his saliva.

 _*Hack!*_

 _*Pattoo_!*

He spits over the edge of the railing. The two brothers quickly pull away and break out laughing.

Link knows not what they are doing, but making mischief is a likely guess. He decides to investigate. " _Now_ what are you guys up to..?" says he as he looks over the rail to see what damage they have done.

On the floor below is an older man with a bald head.

_And a disgusting glob of saliva on top.

The man looks up at Link with a very angry countenance...

As if _he_ did it!

 _Uh oh..._

"HEY! YOU STUPID KID!" the old man shouts angrily. "I SEE YOU UP THERE! DIDN'T YOUR PARENTS TEACH YOU ANY RESPECT?! WAIT TILL I GET UP THERE AND GET MY HANDS ON YOU! YOU DIRTY RAT!"

Link quickly pulls away from view in horror and embarrassment as Drew and Davis laugh on.

"Good timing, Link!" laughs Drew. "You sure do know how to steal the show!"

"Ha ha ha! Yeah, Link!" adds Davis. "That was very... _spit-tastic_ of you! Ha ha! *snort* Ha ha!"

Drew stops laughing as this joke is said. He is no longer amused. "Dude... That was the most _stupidest_ pun I've ever heard!"

"So what?!" retorts an offended Davis. "And it's ' _stupidest'_ or ' _most stupid',_ not ' _most stupidest'!_ Shows how much _you_ know!"

"I don't care! Don't forget; _I'm_ older than you!"

"Don't forget I'm _taller_ than you!"

"That doesn't make you _smarter_ than me!"

Link has not the time to scold the brothers for their behavior, nor to stand around and listen to them argue with each other.

Not when that angry man is coming for him!

As Drew and Davis bicker, completely forgetting about his presence, Link hastily rushes out of the castle and back to his post outside. He takes a breath of relief near the stables after making it out undetected, successfully avoiding the man whom Drew spat on.

Something then occurs to him...

"(Wait a second_ Why did I run away?!)" he thinks to himself upon realizing he could have handled that situation better. "(I wasn't guilty of anything! I should have just stayed there and told the man what _really_ happened! What a stupid move! The innocent don't run! By now Drew and Davis have probably further convinced him that _I'm_ the one to blame! If I try to explain now after having run away like someone who's actually guilty, it will only look like I'm lying! _Aaauurgh!_ Why am I such a coward?! Why do I always let myself be pushed around like this?! Why don't I ever think of what I should've done until it's too late to do it?!)"

His mind consumed with regret thinking of all the ways he could have reacted to that situation better, Link begins to beat his head against a pole in frustration as he reflect upon his cowardice.

Until he notices Talon and his daughter Malon standing nearby, watching him with puzzled looks on their faces as they park Epona in the nearby stables.

 _Well, this is awkward..._

"Um. Hi Link..." Malon awkwardly greets, unsure what to think of his odd behavior.

"Uh... Ya got yerself a headache or something..?" asks Talon.

Link immediately straightens up. His face flushed red with embarrassment at the thought of how absurd he must look. He dares not look either of them in the eye.

"Well, uh...we gave yer grandmother Linda a lift on the way here," says Talon. "You should be seein' her 'round here somewhere."

"Alright. Thanks. Bye..!" a flustered Link hastily replies before turning to leave. He hopes not to come across as rude, but is eager to put yet another awkward scene behind him ASAP.

Malon notices the monster blood dripping from Link's blade as he turns his back. "Hey, what's that grime on your sword there..?" asks she.

But it is too late. Link is already gone and (possibly) did not hear her question.

He retreats out of sight in a secluded place. A sigh of shame and regret passes though his lips at the thought of how he had ran away from two simple confrontations in a row just now. It appears he is on a roll...

 _Stupid social anxieties!_

Nonetheless, it is past time to be returning to duty. But first his weapons require post-battle maintenance. He proceeds to stick his sword in the earth to rid it of the monster blood that covers it and wipes the rest off with a cloth, all while contemplating the battle he had just fought;

"(How in the world did I make it out of _that_ alive..?!)" he thinks to himself in disbelief. "(But did that battle really even happen or am I just losing my mind? I haven't been aware of any previous symptoms of insanity, but the idea of me going crazy does seem more plausible than encountering a bunch of monsters in Hyrule Castle's basements...and _especially_ more believable than the idea of a coward like _me_ defeating all those monsters by myself!  
_Still...for as unlikely as the story seems, I sure _hope_ that I'm not going crazy, and that whole event really _did_ happen... Because if it didn't...I'm worried about whose blood this _really_ is that I'm cleaning from my sword right now...)"

As Link finishes cleaning his blade, he pauses to study with disturbance the blood that he just wiped from it.

The color of the blood does not look natural, which confirms it to be monster blood.

"(I _guess_ that's a relief...)" he thinks to himself. "(I'd hate to think that I might have just spilled the blood of some innocent in a psychopathic murder-spree! But I know for sure that no one would ever believe me if I were to tell them about what happened down there... If it even did happen... I'm still not too sure about it myself...)"

His sword cleaned, he puts it back in its scabbard. He then proceeds to restring his bow after what the Achemen did to it.

A familiar voice addresses him from behind; "There you are! I was wondering where you might be."

Link recognizes the voice immediately. It is his grandmother's. He turns and greets her wordlessly with an affectionate smile.

She continues; "I had been looking around for you to tell you that I'm here, but had a little trouble finding you until now. How is guard-duty?"

At this, Link can only shrug in response. He would rather not answer that.

Although he tries to hide his inward concern, she picks up on his subtle shift in emotion anyway and senses that something is wrong. She then realizes what he is doing. "Oh..? What happened to your bow..?" she asks with sympathy.

"It's nothing..." he reassures, not wishing to alarm her with his near-death experience. "I was just using it for...an ' _event'..._ and then it ended up with a broken string... I'm fixing it right now."

Her expression remains unchanged. She knows there is more to this story than what he is letting her in on. "Link..? Is anything wrong..?"

Link is hesitant to answer. He cannot tell her of his encounter in the basement. Even if he wanted to, Sir Pent had given him strict orders not to speak of it yet. "Well... It's just been a lot more... _hectic_...than I expected..." comes his answer.

"Let me guess..." she says to him. "Somebody did this to your bow deliberately, didn't they? Have those other boys you train with been giving you a hard time again?"

 _Well... She is not exactly wrong..._

Link only hangs his head and shrugs. She takes his response as a ' _yes'._ Her maternal protectiveness is immediately triggered.

"Oh, don't let them get to you!" she encourages assertively. "I know very well that you'd _never_ do anything to start conflict. The only reason those boys are always so hard on you is to compensate for their own insecurities! You always work so much harder than the rest of them, and you're one of the most caring people in the world; there isn't a reason in the world why anyone should think ill of you, and so if they do, then you can be sure that it's only because _they're_ in the wrong, not you. I know you better than that!"

Having vented her rage, she places her hand affectionately on his shoulder and looks into his eyes with an encouraging smile.

"Now listen to me, dear..." she continues softly; "No matter how good a person you are, there will always be those who treat you with disrespect...but that doesn't mean you don't deserve respect! Just keep being the best person you can be, treating everyone as you would want to be treated, and living as an example of kindness that no one in their right mind could ever despise. And if anyone _still_ can't bother to show you respect for it, then it's _their_ fault, not yours, so don't ever let yourself feel down about it. Okay?"

Link smiles affectionately at his grandmother's encouraging words and nods in response. It does not necessarily solve any of his current worries, but he always does appreciate her concern.

Having spoken her peace, she turns toward the castle. "Well then, if you'll excuse me, I'll be joining in on the celebration inside now. I've never been in the castle before, you know."

She begins to turn to leave...but then quickly turns back to Link with a smirk on her face.

A mischievous smirk that Link knows all too well. He cringes at the sight.

 _Uh oh..._

"Oh, that reminds me..." she says in a teasing tone. "There's supposed to be dancing held in there today, isn't there..?"

 _Ugh. Here it comes..._

"Don't forget to stop in and join once you're on break!" continues she. "I know there will be many young ladies in there who would just _love_ the chance to get to dance with a handsome young swordsman in uniform like yourself! Perhaps you could ask Malon for a dance..? Or better yet; maybe even the princess herself wouldn't mind sparing a dance for you!"

Link's face turns red with both embarrassment and annoyance. He _knew_ she was going to say something like that. "Grandmother..!" scolds the flustered farmboy.

"Oh? Not your type?" she chuckles teasingly. "Well, maybe you'd rather a nice Zora girl then? I hear they've arrived already! Perhaps she could teach you how to tango underwater?"

Link cannot take it. "Stop it, okay?! Just...stop! Please!"

"Oh, okay, okay," his grandmother relents. "You know I'm just teasing. But I _do_ want to live to see the day my only grandchild gets married and starts a new family. And at my age, the clock is ticking..."

Link keeps silent and palms his face in exasperation. He has no interest in finding a relationship at this point in his life yet and could really do without all the urging and teasing she often gives him. But at least she had the decency not to do so publicly.

 __This_ time, anyway...

"Ah, don't let me get to you..." she reassures him. "But more importantly; don't let those who mistreat you get to you either. Remember, I'm proud of you no matter what anyone else might think of you. Take care on your guard-duty and keep doing your best!"

After seeing his grandmother off into the castle, Link lets out a heavy sigh. Nothing can begin to ease his worries right now.

Not with those monsters lurking in the castle's dungeons.

His eyes look towards the castle with anticipation, half expecting an alarm to sound at any instant to call in all swordsmen to help fight off an endless legion of monsters.

But perhaps he worries far more than necessary. After all, Sir Pent and his posse should be more than capable of exterminating those monsters below, and if they _did_ find the situation dangerous for anyone, they would call in reinforcements or have the castle evacuated at once. Everything should be fine if no news is heard.

Still, the young recruit cannot help but feel anxious thinking about it. Nor can he take his worried eyes off the castle.

 _What could be going on in there right now..?_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Sorry if this chapter is kind of long, and I know it's not as exciting as the last two, but anyhow, the next one is the last of this 2nd episode and is much shorter. We'll be moving into Episode 3 after that.**

 **Now for those who've read the original version: although this chapter is barely different from before, but the next one will be completely new.**


	16. 2-9 Deep in the Dungeon

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 2: The Day of Duty_

 **Chapter 9  
** _Deep in the Dungeon_

Within the darkness of Hyrule Castle's dungeon floor, much worry and quarrel stirs in the lurking monsters as they anticipate what is to come now that their secret operation has been discovered by a Hylian recruit.

Several Aches bicker as they hang from the ceiling, blaming one another for their unfortunate discovery as they await word from their leader about what is to be done now. Their conversation goes as follows;

Ache 1: "Why couldn't you idiots have just been more quiet?! If everyone would have just kept still instead of flapping around, that brat would've never known we were here!"

Ache 2: "Don't blame us! There should've been more alert Achemen on guard!"

Ache 3: "Yeah! Somebody should have just struck the kid dead as soon as he entered! He should have never made it past the first corridor alive!"

Ache 4: " _Or_ you guys could have actually _helped out_ and we could have all ganged up on him at once the minute he noticed us! All you nincompoops did was sit back and let him pick off our allies one-by-one!"

Ache 5: "Well, I didn't see _you_ swooping in on cue either! You just hung around in a dark corner yourself!"

Ache 4: "I was only waiting for _you_ cowards to join the charge! There's no way I was just going to swoop in on my own before anyone else shows any sign of having my back!"

Ache 5: "Well, there's no way _I'm_ swooping down on a guy with a sword in his hand when I got nothing!"

Ache 6: "Those idiots who were supposed to be on guard should have called out and given us a better warning so we'd be more prepared when that runt showed up!"

Ache 7: "Oh? And alert the swordsman upfront that he wasn't alone down here..? Nice plan, genius!"

Ache 2: "I still say we should have just assigned more competent Achemen to stand watch. Those losers just got whipped even when they were fighting three against one!"

Ache 4: "Says the guys who just sat there and did _nothing_ to aid them!"

Ache 5: "But neither did _you!"_

Ache 4: "Shut up!"

Ache 1: "I think you should _all_ shut up! It's because you guys couldn't stop making noise that he found us out in the first place!"

Ache 4: "And it's because none of you useless dimwits acted in time that he lives to tell the tale!"

Ache 5: "And _you_ were the most useless of all!"

Ache 4: " _What?!_ Oh, that does it! We're settling this right now! Drop down and fight like a real monster!"

Ache 5: "Wait_ What?!"

Ache 4: "You heard me! And wimping out ain't even an option this time! We're fighting whether you like it or not!"

Ache 5: "Ha! Like I'd even have need to wimp out from a fight against _you!_ You're all talk and no bite!"

Ache 4: "Enjoy your last words, punk!"

The two enraged Aches drop from the ceiling and change into their Acheman forms to go all out against each other in a fight. They will fight until one or the other surrenders.

_Or dies. Whichever comes first. This is the typical method of monsters solving their quarrels.

The other Aches watch on. They cheer excitedly;

"Yes! A fight!"

"Alright! This ought to be good!"

"I claim dibs on lapping up the spilled blood!"

"No way! Not if I get to it first!"

The two Achemen hunch down and bear their fangs. Their eyes lock, burning with the will to kill. They violently rush straight towards each other at full speed, both letting out a savage screech.

 _*Fwoosh! Fwoosh!*_

The spectating Aches chant with glee;

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Once within an arm's reach of one another, the two Achemen simultaneously unleash their full onslaught, both furiously swinging at the other.

_In a heated sissy-slap! Both closing their eyes tightly and turning their heads to the side to protect their own faces from the other's brutal blows.

 _*Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!*_

"I'll...teach...you..!" hisses one Acheman as it blindly slaps at the other. "_Ow! My face..!"

"I'll show you_! _Ow_! ...how a REAL monster __ Ow! ..._ fights..!" retorts the other between slaps.

Most of the spectating Aches quickly lose their enthusiasm.

"You know what? This isn't as good as I thought it'd be..."

"I am thoroughly disappointed..."

"Lame-o!"

"Shh! Quiet down! It's getting so intense!"

Suddenly an authoritative voice silences them all; "ENOUGH! Cease this indignant nonsense at once!"

The battle immediately comes to a halt. The two Achemen responsible turn to face the commanding voice and tremble.

"L-Lord Bloodvore..!" trembles one of the fighting Achemen in fear.

"Yikes!" yelps the other as they both bow low.

All monsters drop to the floor and take a submissive stance as the new figure approaches from within the shadows. None dare to stand out of line in their commander's presence.

"Shoot! Just when things were getting epic, too..!" grumbles the sole Ache who remained enthused with the fight to the end.

"Shut up..!" another hushes. "He'll hear you..!"

An elite-ranking Acheman, black in color with red markings all over his body, enters the scene. He wears a spiked, iron collar around his neck and a suit of mail armor on his torso. Like the others, he also bears an emblem upon his forehead.

But his is colored a burning gold; a sign of elite status among their forces.

"It appears there has been quite the slip-up down here..." hisses the commander, known by his underlings as ' _Lord Bloodvore'._ "One that could have nearly blown the Devastati's entire plan!"

"F-forgive us, Lord Bloodvore!" plead the trembling Aches. "We can explain..!"

"Explain _what_..?!" Bloodvore snaps. "That you were no match for a mere _greenhorn?!_ That human who came down here was among the _lowest_ of recruits, and yet you _still_ failed to stop him from escaping with his life! Our moment of attack doesn't even begin for several hours yet, and _already_ a number of our soldiers down here lie slain and our presence is at great risk of being discovered by the public! ...And it's all because of _your_ stupidity!"

The subordinate monsters tremble all the more fearfully with every word as Bloodvore slowly paces down the dungeon halls in their midst.

"Wh-what do we do now, my lord..?" one Ache dares to ask.

"Fortunately, we may yet be able to correct this misdemeanor," Bloodvore replies. "Our insider has informed me that the boy who discovered our little place of operation down here was given strict orders not to speak of his findings to anyone. But nonetheless, the risk of being further discovered remains at large. The captain has ordered that the dungeons should be evacuated _immediately_ before anyone else comes down to investigate."

Lord Bloodvore turns to face his subordinates. His eyes burn furiously like fire through the darkness as he gives them all a stern glare to enunciate his seriousness.

"...So get moving at once! There isn't a moment to lose! Clear this place out, remove any traces of battle, and make it look as if no one was ever even down here to begin with! You worthless numskulls will spend the rest of the day waiting in the forests outside until called upon when Master Kazama is ready to execute the plan! And if anyone is too slow on clearing out; consider yourself nourishment to appease the rumbling stomach of a more competent monster!"

"Yes, sir!" the submissive monsters answer in unison.

* * *

End of Episode 2: _The Day of Duty_ **  
**To be continued in Episode 3:  
 ** _Tale of Two Princesses_**

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! And so ends the second episode. Link will be stepping out of the spotlight for a bit as the next episode focuses on Zelda and the Zora princess from earlier. Also, remember to check out my TriSpirit art gallery on DeviantArt, Twitter, and/or Google+ via the hashtag; "lozTriSpirit" if you want to see concept art for original characters like Lord Bloodvore. (I'd leave the picture I drew of him here if I could, but that's not an option for this site...)**

 **Now for those who've read the original edition: I apologize for having so little new content in these past two episodes, but all that will soon change in the next one. Most of the upcoming chapters will be completely exclusive to this revision.**


	17. 3-1 Royal Burn

~SilentN

 **The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit**  
 _Episode 3: Tale of Two Princesses_

 _To celebrate the day of her 18th birthday and coming-of-age ceremony, Princess Zelda Daphne Hyrule has opened the doors of Hyrule Castle to the public for all to attend. She also hopes today will give her the chance to reconnect with an old friend. Things unfortunately do not go so favorably, however, and the friend she so wished to reconnect with wants nothing to do with her... _Oh, well. At least no evil cult is planning to take advantage of this ceremony as an opportunity to usurp dominion over Hyrule...right?_

* * *

 **Chapter 1  
** _Royal Burn_

The Legacy of Hylia:

 _Long ago, when the three golden goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore, descended from the heavens and created the land, they appointed a fourth goddess to watch over it as its patroness and protector._

 _Her name was Hylia. And in her image, the inhabitants of the land were made._

 _The goddess loved her people as her children, and she kept watch over them from the heavens, lavishing them with her countless blessings, but never intervening in the world directly._

 _But then came a time when things were not so well; the demon king Demise arose from the earth and carried his calamitous reign of destruction upon the lands. All seemed lost for the people on the surface. The future was bleak._

 _In the darkest hour, the people of Hylia looked skyward and saw their goddess descending upon them in the form of a maiden atop a great red bird. Looking among them for one whose heart was pure, she chose one valiant mortal to lead the battle, blessed him with a portion of her power, and bestowed upon him a holy blade to seal the darkness, as well as a blessed cloth that would grant him to soar._

 _Armed with the blessings of the goddess, the chosen hero was able to halt Demise's advancement, but ultimately fell in the end. Hylia herself intervened and secured the hero's victory, sealing away the demon king with her power, but was greatly injured as a result._

 _Knowing that the seal would not last with her power so weakened from the battle and that Demise would eventually return, Her Grace deemed it appropriate that the hero whom she appointed to first fight the demon king should be the one whose hand should end the evil incarnation. She vowed that the fallen hero would return one day to finish the battle._

 _But not without her assistance..._

 _Shedding her divinity, Hylia took on the temporary form of a mortal herself to aid the hero when he returned. Bearing no memory of her former life as the goddess, Her Grace was merely known by the name of "Zelda" throughout her time as a human._

 _Completing the ritual to reinforce the seal of Demise, Her Grace had entrusted the reborn hero with the task of annihilating the demon king as she kept the evil pinned down through a 1,000 year slumber._

 _Demise was defeated once and for all, and Her Grace continued to live on as a mortal under the identity of Zelda until her time of passing from this world would come and return her to her former divinity._

 _It was during this time that she had founded the kingdom of Hyrule, and from her own bloodline rose the first king. Thus those born of the royal family of Hyrule are the descendants of Hylia, and why the princesses of the royal bloodline are said to possess a sacred power._

 _For this reason, it has remained tradition in the royal family that every firstborn female destined to rule should be given the name "Zelda"; the name that Her Grace had once borne, which is considered so sacred that only those of the royal bloodline may legally bear it._

* * *

"Wait_ What?!" exclaims the surprised Zora prince, Zora DeBon VIII (better known as "Zora Jr"), as he and his older sister, Princess Rutoria (more commonly called "Ruto" for short), read the text from Hyrule Castle's monument that tells of the history of the royal family of Hyrule. "So King Roark and Princess Zelda...are the descendants of _Hylia_ herself?!"

Not so enthused as her brother, Princess Ruto scoffs indignantly. "So the historians like to _say_... But don't look too much into it. It's still only a legend...and quite a ridiculous one at that. I am quite certain that such a _preposterous_ tale was merely created just to reinforce their family's reign and propagandize Hylian rule. After all, it is not at all uncommon for a fraudulent ruler to dictate historians into promoting the _supposed_ legitimacy of their reign with some blasphemous claim that their leadership was established by _'divine authority'_ so that no one would dare to question the authenticity of their government. If anything, I would say that the very existence of this legend just goes to prove that the royal family of Hyrule has some dark secret that they need to cover if they would go so far as to fabricate their history and _claim_ to be the descendants of a goddess in order to convince the public that they alone are suitable to rule."

Prince Zora Jr says nothing. He only stares blankly at his sister with a puzzled look.

Ruto notices his stare. "What?"

"Uh, I only understood about a handful of those words, but from what I can make out of it; I think you're saying it's _not_ true..?"

"Of _course_ the story isn't true! Think about it; why in the world would any goddess want to become _mortal?!_ It's obviously just some dumb old fairy-tale!"

Junior remains skeptical of his sister's negative assumptions. "Are you sure you're not just saying that because you're jealous that Zelda might be the descendant of a goddess and you're not?"

"She's no descendant of any goddess. Trust me," Ruto insists. "It's all just a lie that her family has used to gain respect all these years. Why, I'll bet that original Zelda was just a lowborn scammer who tricked people into believing that she was _'Hylia reborn'_ as a means to rise in the ranks and weasel her way into a place of royalty!"

She takes a brief pause and looks off to the side before finishing her statement, almost as if speaking more to herself now rather than to her brother; "Not unlike the way a lot of people I know try to use our family for their own status..."

"Huh..?" questions Zora Jr.

A displeased sigh passes from the Zora princess's lips. Her fins flap in irritation as she contemplates something. "Nothing... Just forget it..."

Without another word, Princess Ruto turns and walks away to be alone. Her brother is left standing by the monument.

He watches her walk off. Her negativity puzzles him. "What's _her_ problem..?"

Princess Ruto walks through the crowded castle, keeping a firm grip on her mystical rod, ready to strike down any scumbag who would dare attempt to pick her pockets or invade her personal space. She trusts none of these shady bumpkins.

"(Seriously; _what_ was Zelda thinking when she decided to open the doors for _everyone_ to attend her crummy ceremony?!)" the begrudging Zora princess thinks to herself. "(If she wanted a bigger turnout, then she sure got one! But people of such lowly rank clearly don't belong here! A castle is _supposed_ to be a place reserved only for nobility! Inviting these lowborn fleabags is just asking for trouble!)"

She treats herself to a tour of the many of the new paintings donated this day. It is the best way to avoid having to interact with anyone.

But her eyes are not upon the paintings.

They are upon the many unsightly humans around her whom she judges with disgust;

"(Why, just look at these people! Is there some sort of _'ugliness pageant'_ being held here today? If so, there might be too many candidates to choose from around here! Take that guy over there; Talk about a face that only a mother could love! Or that woman over there! That's a face that only a _plastic-surgeon_ could love! Ew! And _that_ guy_! Eesh! I don't think _anyone_ could be pleased to see a face like _THAT_ one! _Well, unless maybe if you're some poor slum who makes a living by getting paid to pop pimples... Then you'd be making _big money_ right there! I swear, if Zora's Domain had a castle like this one, there is _no way_ I would ever open it the public like this! Zelda is out of her mind!)"

As the young Zora princess continues her mental griping, she is soon approached by Princess Zelda herself. Ruto pretends not to notice her. She turns her gaze to the large painting of a Gohma on the central wall nearby, hoping she may get by without having to speak to Zelda if she does not acknowledge her.

Her plan works not. Zelda greets her warmly;

"Hello Ruto! It's been a long time since I've seen you last."

"(Not long enough, if you ask me...)" Ruto thinks to herself.

Zelda continues; "I hope you're enjoying your stay in Hyrule Castle. It's good to have you."

"Well, if it isn't the birthday girl..." Ruto replies with no enthusiasm. She bothers not to even look the Hylian princess in the eye. "You know, I hardly even recognize Hyrule Castle today. The unusual assemblage makes it feel nothing like what you'd expect from a castle... (A pig-pen maybe, but not a castle...)"

"Well, I do wish for everyone to feel as welcome as possible," says Zelda with a smile, hoping to take the remark as a compliment. "So how was your coming-of-age ceremony last month?"

"Oh, my ceremony was much more... _modest_ , if you know what I mean," answers Ruto in a somewhat condescending tone. "Just noble Zoras and no commoners; nothing flashy to put on a show or raise commotion..."

"I see..." says Zelda. She understands what Ruto is insinuating but still wishes to let it slide and continue the conversation kindly. "So... I see you're wearing a new crown now. Was it custom-made for you? It looks very nice."

"Of course it was," Ruto answers. "Zoran crowns are _specifically_ fit for the wearer's head to avoid falling off while swimming and washing up somewhere downstream. They _have_ to be customized. We don't have it as easily as you _humans_."

"Right..." says Zelda.

 _This conversation is proving difficult._

Ruto still has not bothered to even make eye-contact yet, and not out of shyness like many others whom Zelda attempts to converse with, but out of indigence.

Nonetheless, Zelda persists. She attempts again to make decent conversation; "So I hear you've started training in the ways of Zoran magic recently. How's that going? Have you learned that royal dragon-spell you used to talk about?"

"I do believe you mean the _Dragon-Typhoon,_ " says Ruto. "That will come in due time. But as for now, I've been entrusted with the legendary Rod of Jabuni as the first of my magical inheritance..."

The regal Zora holds out her impressive rod for Zelda to get a good look at, hoping to rouse some envy in the Hylian princess.

"It's designed as both a magic rod and melee weapon," Ruto explains. "It has been passed down in my tribe's royal family for generations."

"It's very impressive," compliments Zelda. "It doubles as a melee weapon, you say? That sounds perfect for you! You always did have a fascination with armed combat for as long as I can remember."

"Well, it's only natural," remarks Ruto. "After all... What good is a princess if she can't even fend for herself? Anyone incapable of independence _obviously_ isn't fit for royalty..."

With these words, Ruto at last turns to face Zelda. A slight smirk is now upon her lips as she continues, eagerly awaiting Zelda's reaction to her smug statement;

"So tell me, _Princess_... What sort of training have _you_ been undergoing? I'm _sure_ the highly-important Princess of Hyrule must be _hard at work_ to become the independent ruler that such a _supreme_ kingdom as yours should deserve..?"

"Um, well..." says Zelda uncomfortably.

" _Hmm._.?" presses Ruto with a smug smile.

"I haven't exactly been into...that sort of training... " Zelda admits, feeling inadequate.

Ruto feigns surprise. "Oh, really? You don't mean you just intend to only be the pitiful damsel-in-distress that depends on the shields of her Royal Guard all your life, do you?"

"It's just... I never had the need to learn self-defense," explains Zelda. "Armed combat just isn't for me. We have plenty of swordsmen in Hyrule, so it has never been the princess's duty to take up combat herself..."

"Oh, I see..." says Ruto, fully prepared to make Zelda feel inadequate. "I suppose that's just one of the many benefits of ruling over such a large and powerful kingdom; you have enough working citizens under your rule to do _all the work_ that all you are really required to do is just be the mere face of your kingdom and let _them_ all carry out your responsibilities for you..."

"Um... Pardon..?"

"It sounds like quite the luxury, really," Ruto continues in a guilt-trippingly perky voice; "You get so many subjects working under you that you have no need to fight your battles yourself; you have more than enough devoted bodyguards willing to lay down their own lives to act as human-shields for _you_ to hide behind that fending for yourself is absolutely obsolete! It must be _so reassuring_ to know that you can always just place your responsibilities on your loyal subjects to carry them all out in your stead...while _you_ get to enjoy the comfort of safety in your own home; living in your luxurious castle far away from the battlefield; feasting on hearty banquets that _your servants_ prepared for you so that you won't have to be bothered to learn to cook for yourself... And in the end, you still receive _all the credit_ for the many accomplishments that your _loyal subjects_ fulfilled for you...without _you_ even having to lift a finger to carry any of it out yourself! Sounds like you have it made."

Zelda is unsure how to take this. She knows not how to respond.

 _Could she really be that dictating towards her people..?_

It is obvious that Ruto is just deliberately _trying_ to make her feel inadequate with those statements...

And it is working.

"I... Uh," says Zelda, unable to think of anything to say in reply.

"(Ha ha! Burned her good!)" thinks Ruto to herself as she looks upon the shamed expression on Zelda's face.

"I think I should go..." says Zelda at last. "I have...duties to attend to..."

"Oh, I understand," says Ruto with a _'friendly'_ smirk. "Having so many guests in the kingdom to present yourself to must be _very_ tiresome. Fortunately, a princess as _important_ as you will always have your loyal subjects to handle the task of actually _running_ the kingdom for you, so don't let those royal _'duties'_ of having to smile and wave to everyone wear you down _too_ much."

Zelda says nothing. She only heaves a sigh of regret and continues on her way.

"(Oh yeah! Serves her right!)" Ruto thinks proudly to herself as she watches Zelda leave. "(Burn, baby! Burn!)"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! And yes, the Zora princess of this story is none other than Ruto (albeit a whole new incarnation than the one from** _ **Ocarina of Time)**. _**But before anyone gets the wrong idea; no, this is NOT the kind of story that intends to bash her. She is one of my favorite characters, after all. The reason she is currently acting so insufferable is because this story focuses strongly on character development, and so all the rudeness and immaturity she displays now is meant to contrast with how empathetic and mature she will become as time goes on.**

 **And if you are wondering about her "Rod of Jabuni" or the "Dragon Typhoon" spell she mentioned; those are both original concepts I created for this story. Details will come later.**

 **Now for those who've read the original: there hasn't been much changed for this chapter except the opening. The following chapter isn't much different either, so you can skip it if you don't want to reread. The chapter after that, however, is completely new, as is every chapter in this 3rd episode to follow it.**

* * *

Update (4/16/2018): _I have made a small change and decided to call this incarnation of Ruto "Rutoria" as her actual name and have "Ruto" only be a nickname. It makes her a little more distinguishable from her OoT counterpart this way._


	18. 3-2 Zelda's Lament

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 3: Tale of Two Princesses_

 **Chapter 2  
** _Zelda's Lament_

Her mind filled with sorrow and shame, Zelda moves along through the crowded castle. She wishes greatly that she could simply forget what Ruto has just said to her.

Both of the two girls being princesses, Zelda and Ruto have known each other since childhood, and they used to genuinely enjoy the company of one another when they were younger. But for some confusing reason, the latter has come to hold a contemptuous attitude toward the former and now tends to treat her as more of a rival than a friend.

Zelda understands not where this antagonistic change in attitude is coming from and was hoping it may have come to pass from Ruto's system by now, but it seems her hope was in vain; Ruto's resentment towards her has grown only worse over the years. Zelda only wishes to reconnect with her old friend, but Ruto seems not to want any part of it.

But it is not just Ruto alone who has given her a hard time today. Many other things have been weighing on her mind, and countless other guests have been just as disrespectful.

Some even worse.

As Zelda departs from Ruto, Impa, her royal attendant, appears suddenly before her as if from nowhere. She is a tall woman with dark skin and, despite only being in her 40's, white hair. She is not a Hylian, but a member of the Sheikah; a mysterious tribe that has served the royal family from the shadows since times old and forgotten.

In battle, Impa is a fearsome warrior by whose hand many monsters have met their end. But off the battlefield, she is a very gentle woman; rich in compassion and kindness. She has served as Zelda's attendant since the young princess was born and has grown very protective of her, like a second mother. She is just as close to Zelda as her actual mother is.

She has overheard Zelda's entire conversation with Ruto and is very displeased.

"What a rude little Zora," scoffs the Sheikah woman, looking back towards Ruto with a scowl of disapproval. "Shall I have a word her father, Princess? I'm sure he would never approve of her speaking to you in such a way."

"No, that's alright, Impa..." replies Zelda with a sigh. "She'll just resent me even more if she ends up with a lecture after every time we speak... Besides, when you think about it...she really was only telling the truth..."

"Pay her no mind!" Impa assertively protests. "She only resents you out of sheer envy! You are the princess of an established kingdom whereas she is only of a mere tribe. Don't you see? She puts a lot of thought and effort into looking for any possible reasons she can come up with to make you appear inadequate just to compensate for her own insecurities! You must not take her snarky remarks seriously!"

"Perhaps..." says Zelda. "But I still can't deny what she said..."

"Oh, come now! Never in all of Hyrule's history has it been the princess's line of duty to take up arms and learn to fight for herself! Not even among the Zora has this ever been standard, and she knows this! She only took up such training by her own personal bidding, even against her father's desires, all just because of her competitive nature! It was never required of her, nor should it be required of you. So do not let her words get to you. There is no reason to let an overly-opinionated brat like her bring you down on your own birthday celebration."

"It's not just Ruto... To be perfectly honest; this entire celebration has proven to be a lot more...stressful than I would've ever anticipated..."

Impa falls silent. The scorn she feels towards Ruto fades from her face as her eyes fill with motherly sympathy for Zelda. She knows very well that Zelda never likes to complain. If she is admitting that the day has been stressful, then there must be a lot of hurt that she has been bottling up for much too long now.

She takes the Hylian princess aside, beckoning her to a quiet corner where they can talk. She looks Zelda in the eye with a heedful and empathetic countenance, wordlessly telling her in a motherly way to open up and speak what is on her mind.

For as much as Zelda hates to burden anyone with her troubles or speak any sort of negativity, she decides to open up and tell Impa what has been bothering her. She needs a good listener, and Impa is one of few people close enough to her that she would ever voice her emotions to like this.

Letting out a sigh, the Hylian princess reluctantly begins her lament;

"All my life, I've always been thought of as _'the princess';_ nothing more, nothing less. No one ever thinks of or treats me as just plain _'Zelda'_. For as long as I can remember, people have always regarded me only for my royal status and never for who I really am as a person...

"But I know that it isn't just me; _everyone_ tends to be given a label of social status based on their bloodline or occupation and spends their entire life being regarded for _what_ they are labeled instead of _who_ they are. It's pretty dehumanizing.

"That's why I wanted to open Hyrule Castle to the public today. I wanted a day where people of every social status -whether they be commoners or nobility- would all be welcomed just the same, and then they_ no, _WE_ would all get the chance to interact as equals, as people without any labels of rank, and for once be regarded according to _who_ we each are as people instead of _what_ we are in the eyes of society. But it has not at all been going as I had hoped...

"The _'noble guests'_ are still being seated in specially reserved places of honor that separates them from the others, and most of them have not been very accepting of the presence of commoners in the castle at all. The Hytopians have been especially loud-mouthed about criticizing the _'drab looks'_ of the other guests... I just can't keep everyone from looking down on one another!

"And it's not just those of nobility either; the common-folk have been just as problematic about this. Many of them are taking advantage of the generosity they have been shown today in the wrong way. I have been hearing one report after another about the many ways they have been disrespecting everyone and everything; trying to further push the boundaries and get into places that they already know are off-limits; picking pockets; trying to snag some of the castle's property...

"I thought for sure that hiring temporary recruits to aid the Royal Guard would prevent such misbehavior, but from what I've been hearing; it seems that a number of our recruits have even been the ones causing it. An older man had even reported to me awhile back that one of the lower recruits who was supposed to be stationed outdoors had came into the castle and spat on his head before retreating back outside!

"I guess I should have also ordered the cooks to keep the other races in mind when preparing the food; although the Goron tribe had not responded to our invitation and didn't show, I was informed that one of the very few Gorons that actually _did_ attend -possibly even the _only_ one- had to be expelled from the dining-room after he decided to eat the metal silverware when he found our human food unappetizing for his kind... I was hoping this celebration might provide the much-needed opportunity to restore our breaking relations with the Gorons, but I think things may have backfired after that little episode...

"And these are all just _some_ examples of the chaos that has been taking place today! I haven't even covered _half_ of it! I don't know... Maybe I did make a mistake opening the castle to the public today. It looks like Father was right when he warned me that people will only take advantage of you if you try too hard to be gracious to them like this... I feel like such a fool for thinking I could make a difference in the way people treat one another..."

Zelda hangs her head as she finishes her lament. There is so much that she has been keeping bottled up now and has needed to get off her chest, but she still cannot help but feel whiny for making Impa listen to her ramble about her problems like this.

Impa minds not. She never does. She only continues to stand in compassionate silence and listen attentively with mother-like concern.

"I see..." says the Sheikah woman sympathetically. "You were very well-intended, Princess. Hyrule is lucky to be blessed with such a generous and conscientious princess as yourself. But unfortunately, no matter how genuinely good you may be, there will always be those whose only thoughts and actions are centered solely on their own personal image and gain. They will only ever see the kindness you show as a sign of vulnerability, and they will then either ridicule you for it...or use it as an opportunity take advantage of you..."

Impa gently raises Zelda's head, bringing the two to eye-level, and lovingly gives the young princess a motherly smile before continuing;

"...But for as much as they may make you feel laughable for doing the good that you do, don't ever let them convince you that generosity is for the foolish. The real fools are the ones who fail to see your good deeds as the works of true nobility that they are. Just continue with what you have started today, and if it does prove to be more disastrous than beneficial in the end, then you'll know not to do this again. But even if the outcome was not what you had hoped for, you can still be proud of yourself for having tried a good deed, and you needn't let one good deed gone wrong stop you from trying again in the future."

Her words do bring Zelda some comfort. A faint smile begins to return to the princess's lips.

"Thanks, Impa..." says Zelda, wiping away a tear. "I guess I needed to hear that."

Meanwhile, as Princess Zelda and Impa are having their talk, two men in cloaks, one red and the other blue, quietly observe them from afar...

"Aww, what a touching little conversation," the one in red whispers mockingly to the other. "It's quite endearing how our little Princess Zelda thought she could make everyone get along just by welcoming them all into her castle... It's endearing how she could be so _naive!_ "

"Indeed," says the blue-cloaked one with a smug chuckle. "And that silly attendant of hers is just as naive for encouraging such platitudinous folly! But I can't complain... Such generous fools are the very prey we rely on, after all."

"Yes, generosity _is_ for the foolish!" agrees the red-cloaked man. "The lesson she _really_ should be giving the princess right now is how to appreciate what you have while you still have it...since it can all be taken from you in any instant!"

"Or better yet..." snickers the one in blue. "A lesson about not trusting strangers into your own home! Because that's a lesson they're _all_ going to learn before this day is through..."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Just a heads-up; this 3rd episode is admittedly a little slow-paced to start...but it picks up pretty fast once the villains launch their attack. So just bear with me a little bit longer and then the action will soon be much more frequent with battles occurring regularly.**

 **Now for those who've read the original version: this was the last of the virtually-unchanged chapters of this episode. Everything from here on will be completely new content. :)**


	19. 3-3 Resentment

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 3: Tale of Two Princesses_

 **Chapter 3  
** _Resentment_

Hyrule Castle's stadium is packed with spectators as they await the start of the grand tournament where warriors will put their skills to the test in a public competition with one another. Many viewers struggle to find seats to watch the event.

This does not apply to VIPs, of course, as they are entitled to first-class seats that grant them their own private booth which allows a close view of the ongoing competition with plenty of space from the rest of the crowd. No one among them could complain about not finding a place.

Unless you are a certain Zora princess who wanted to do more than just spectate the event, that is...

"This is an outrage!" exclaims an enraged Princess Ruto. "Why didn't anyone bother to inform me that there was going to be a combat tournament here today?! I would have registered myself if I had known about it! I don't want to just sit here and watch these _amateurs_ compete! I want to show them all how it is done!"

Princess Zelda grimaces at hearing Ruto's protests as the two princesses walk together to their seats to watch the tournament. This was not the sort of reaction she was expecting from her old friend.

"I don't think they were accepting registrations from Zoras anyway," the Hylian princess gently explains; "The tournament was set with human participants in mind..."

"So it is for _humans_ only?" Ruto says indignantly. "Now why am I not surprised? You know, if you were to ask me -which I know that no Hylian _ever_ would- it seems to me that humans are the _only_ race to ever truly be taken into consideration in this kingdom of yours... Not that I find that surprising, mind you, considering _who_ it is that runs it. I guess when your race is supposedly the _'closest to the gods'_ , then being so much more _'important'_ than the rest of the world's inhabitants must make it _very easy_ for you to _accidentally_ overlook those of us who are presumably _'beneath'_ you... But hey, who am I, a lowly Zora princess, to judge someone who _claims_ to be the descendant of a goddess?"

"It is not that we wish to discriminate anyone..." Zelda explains. "The reason registrations for the tournament are limited only to one species is just to ensure that all participants have an equal chance at winning. If _any_ race was allowed to enter, no one else would stand much of a chance should one such as a Goron choose to compete. With each race having such a great difference in physical strength, the only way to keep the competition fair would be to hold a separate event for each one. But because Zoras, Gorons, and other foreign races would have to come from so far away, finding participants and organizing tournaments for non-humans here in Castle Town would be much more complicated. That's all."

Ruto remains indignant. " _Humph._ You never do seem to run out of excuses, do you?" scoffs she. "Of course, as a warrior-in-training myself, I feel that I should inform you that there is _far_ more to the art of battle than just strength alone. As any warrior should know, each race has their own attributes of strengths and weaknesses; Gorons may excel in physical-strength, but they are all brawn and no brain, and frankly; quite slow on their feet. Anyone who can exploit a Goron warrior's shortcomings should be able to make short work of him like one from any other race."

"Um. Right... But I think it may be a bit of an overstatement to say that they are of _'no brain'_... Either way, I am sure the Gorons' strength would still hold them at quite an advantage, at least. It would not be fair to the other participants to have to compete against one..."

"Mm. I guess I should not expect you to understand...since we all know that you have absolutely _no_ sort of experience in this field whatsoever. But I assure you; you needn't worry about a well-trained _Zoran_ warrior being outmatched by some lowly Goron. Why, I'll bet I could take one of those rock-headed hillbillies down myself any old day!"

Zelda opts to let Ruto's smug remarks slide. Fortunately, the two have arrived at their seats now. "Well, um...anyway, these booths are the first-class seats. We'll get a good view of the competition from here. Would you care to sit together?"

"No, I believe I will sit with my family," declines Ruto as she takes a seat. "It's not often we get to spend much time together."

Zelda is surprised to hear this from Ruto. "Huh? Um, okay..? I can respect that. But...weren't you just saying a few minutes ago that you were _'fed up'_ with them and that you needed some time apart..?"

"Perhaps..." says Ruto, still not making eye-contact with Zelda. "But there are others still whom I could use even _more_ time apart from right now..."

Zelda realizes immediately that Ruto is referring to _her_. She decides to leave her alone. "Very well, then. If that's how you feel... Your father and brother should be arriving shortly..."

Ruto acknowledges the Hylian princess no further as the latter leaves her to her own VIP booth and departs from her presence. Zelda joins her father and mother in their own booth with Impa standing ever watchfully nearby.

In truth, Zelda cares nothing for the tournament. She had only requested that one would be held today because she knows Ruto enjoys displays of combat, and so she hoped this would give her the long-desired chance to reconnect with her old friend, but it appears that even this has backfired on her...

Her father, the elevated King Roark, looks to Zelda as she takes her seat beside him. He knows something is wrong. "Well, I see you and your _'best friend'_ have opted to sit separately...as usual," he says in a somewhat indignant tone. He never did like Ruto. "I take it I don't even need to ask how things have been going between the two of you..?"

Zelda's mother, the respected Queen Amaranth, gives him a nudge and scolding look. She then turns to their daughter and inquires in a more courteous manner; "So how have you and Ruto been getting along now, Dear..?"

"Oh, we've been talking a little..." Zelda answers simply, not wishing to rouse any more contempt towards Ruto from her father. "She just wanted to sit with her family for the tournament."

King Roark merely gropes his long beard as he stares scornfully towards Ruto in her booth across from theirs. " _Humph..._ It certainly doesn't do me any comfort to see a crown on that disagreeable Zora's head... I should _hope_ King Zora would have enough sense not to choose _that_ child as his heir!"

"I'm sure we can trust him to choose as he deems best, Love," Queen Amaranth assures. "Don't forget if Ruto does inherit the throne of Zora's Domain that she is still young. She has plenty of time to learn good leadership."

Zelda keeps quiet, just trying to avoid negativity. She glances towards Impa.

The Sheikah woman remains silent as stone, but gives the princess a look as if to say;

 _'Although I do respect that you may consider Ruto as a friend, but I am still on the same page as your father regarding her...'_

Her eyes then drift back towards Ruto as well. They burn with just as much scorn and disapproval towards her as King Roark's.

Zelda looks towards Ruto with the rest of them, albeit with a countenance far lass disdainful than theirs.

The Zora princess sits with her arms crossed, but still gripping her rod tightly in her hand, and bears an annoyed scowl on her face as she awaits her family to come and join her. She glances in the Royal Family's direction with just as much contempt in her eyes as King Roark and Impa bear towards her. Her thoughts are clearly just as scornful.

Zelda's heart aches to see such hatred for one another between her loved ones. Fighting back tears, her eyes turn to the bracelet she wears upon her wrist.

The treasured seashell bracelet handmade by Ruto herself and gifted to her as a symbol of their undying friendship when the two were young. Zelda had made a friendship bracelet for Ruto as well, but the latter has not worn it in years...

 _Whatever happened to it?_

More importantly; _what happened to that cherished friendship it represented?_

Gazing nostalgically upon the bracelet on her wrist, treasured memories of all the times spent with Ruto flood Zelda's mind;

"(Whatever happened to that young Zora I once knew who made me this beautiful bracelet and said I was just like her sister?)" she thinks sorrowfully to herself. "(The one who used to run around the castle's gardens with me as children? Who often challenged me to tests of courage in the dungeons until we would both scare ourselves silly? Who taught me how to swim, and would play in the rain together with me, letting me experience what it's like just to be a carefree little girl instead of a picture-perfect princess all the time? Have I truly lost my best friend forever..? But... _why?!)"_

Noticing her mother giving her a concerned look, the Hylian princess quickly puts on a straight face to hide her pain. She wishes not to worry anyone.

Her thoughts, however, are still filled with pain beyond measure.

"(No... I didn't just lose my best friend...)" she continues to think to herself with sorrow; "(I lost...my _sister._ Ruto and I may not share blood, but she has always been the closest thing to a sibling I have ever known! She's so much more than just a friend; she's _family_ to me! Where did everything go wrong? Why can things not just go back to the way they used to be..? I... I just want my sister back..!)"

Zelda can barely withhold her tears any longer. The hurt of being hated by one held so dear is too great to bear.

But little does the Hylian princess know; she is not the only one hurting today...

As Ruto's violet eyes glance in the direction of the royal family of Hyrule, burning intensely with scorn and contempt for the Hylians before her, a tear of her own is shed from them, slowly making its way down the side of her cheek.

She quickly wipes it away. She will not allow anyone to see it, but deep inside of her, buried beneath a mountain of apparent hatred and contempt, much pain and sorrow of her own lies concealed in darkness...

"( _Hmph!_ That Zelda...)" the resentful Zora thinks to herself with a pained scoff. "(I can't believe her attitude! She has a lot of nerve to think she can just go and act like we're still friends after everything that has happened! Is she really that insensitive?! She acts as if nothing is even wrong! Even after all these years, the royal Hylian family _still_ refuses to accept responsibility for what their greed has caused us Zora! Of course _SHE_ can just leave it all in the past and pretend nothing ever happened; she doesn't have to live and cope with all the irreversible damage that was done like I do! That inconsiderate layabout has probably never suffered a day in her life!)"

Her thoughts are interrupted as the (annoyingly loud) voice of an older Zora calls out from behind;

"MAKE WAY! ROYALTY COMING THROUGH! CLEAR A PATH FOR THE GREAT KING ZORA! MAKE WAYYYYYY!"

Ruto turns to see the royal Zoran servants approaching with King Zora. "( _Bah!_ It looks like I really _am_ going to have to sit with my family! This day just keeps getting worse...)"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! So now the details about that seashell bracelet that Zelda wears have been revealed. And it also looks like there may be another side to this tragic story of broken friendship between the two princesses...**

 **Back when I was writing the original version of this story, my plan was to initially make Ruto seem like just a selfish and hateful brat who loathes Zelda and Hylians out of sheer envy...but then surprise everyone by revealing her side of the story when you least expect it. Unfortunately, this approach didn't seem to take too well with most readers, as her initial attitude only turned many away too soon. So now I'm trying to convey a little more of what she's been through early on instead. You'll still have to wait for her full story, but these next chapters will give you a little more of a clue about the burden she carries...**


	20. 3-4 Double Standards

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 3: Tale of Two Princesses_

 **Chapter 4  
** _Double Standards_

Twelve strong Zora men, with their spines feeling like they are about to snap, carry the weighty King Zora through the crowd of spectators as their fellow servant leads the way, calling out for everyone to clear a path for their massive king's throne.

The young prince, being fit enough to walk on his own (unlike his obese father) and rather tired of having been seated on his throne all day, walks ahead of them on foot. Getting around much faster than those drudging servants struggling with the weight of the king on their shoulders, he cuts around them and takes his seat near his older sister.

"So, what's up?" he asks her upon arriving. "You're not sitting with Zelda?"

Ruto answers with indigence; " _Pssht!_ Nah. She has a really bad attitude that I have no desire to have to put up with."

Prince Zora Jr rolls his eyes at his sister's words. "Oh, irony..."

Ruto quickly turns to face her little brother with a scowl. "What did you say..?!"

"Nothing..!" the prince says hastily. "So, uh, when does the tournament-thingy start?"

"Hmph. Good question..." Ruto scoffs.

The loud voice of the royal attendant leading those transporting King Zora's royal throne continues to ring out;

"MAKE WAY! EVERYONE TO THE SIDE! MA-A-AKE WAYYYYY..!"

"Or better yet," says Zora Jr as he shields his ears; "When does _Rufa_ there finally retire from being the royal attendant?"

"Not soon enough..." answers an equally vexed Ruto.

"I guess it's nice to know there's _something_ that you and I can always agree on."

"Word."

"ROYALTY COMING THOOOOOUGH!" calls the royal attendant Rufa.

"How can that old guy keep calling out so loud like this?!" says Zora Jr. "You'd think he'd be losing his voice by now!"

"I wish he _would_ lose his voice already," Ruto agrees. "That's _ridiculously_ loud!"

The Zoran servants carrying King Zora De Bon VII reach the VIP booth where Princess Ruto and Prince Zora VIII sit. They set down his throne with great relief and fold in the handlebars, seating him just behind the two heirs where he will get a good view of the tournament without blocking that of his children.

Their work complete for the moment, most of the Zoran servants take their own seats among the crowds as they allow their aching backs to rest, leaving their royalty to their own space with only Rufa staying by the king's side to wait on any orders that may be given.

King Zora smiles at his children. "Well, it looks like we are all on time. I must say; it has been quite some time since I last watched a non-Zoran tournament like this. And to think that Zelda had even requested this event to her father herself! I never knew she was the type for a good sparring show! Looks like the two of you have a lot more in common than just being princesses, eh Ruto? I told you it would be worthwhile to take some time to come out here and catch up with our old friends! I trust you have been getting along now that you have had the chance to reconnect?"

With an annoyed scowl on her face, Princess Ruto turns a deaf ear to her father and continues to stare off into the arena as she waits for the tournament to start, pretending as if she had never heard him.

King Zora senses her disdain. He tries to ignore it and optimistically continues to attempt conversation with his daughter; "So, speaking of tournaments, that reminds me; our own annual Silverscale Games are coming up just around the corner! And you have come of age now, so you know what _that_ means... Are you excited?"

Ruto tightens the grip of her fingers around her rod in irritation, growing all the more vexed as she continues to try and ignore her father.

 _Why would she be 'excited' for something that will decide her future for her without her consent? This old fool is out of his mind!_

"Um, anyway," King Zora continues; "Since Zelda was kind enough to invite you to attend her ceremony, I was thinking we should invite her and her family to the Silverscale event. Especially since it will be such a big day for you and the future of our bloodline, and it will even be held at our own Domain this year. I am sure it would be a great experience for her to get to see a real Zora tournament for herself. Especially if she has expressed such interest in sparring events like this. It is the least we could do for the Royal Family of Hyrule."

Ruto only grows all the more quietly enraged by this remark. Her fins begin to flap furiously; a habit of hers when she is feeling most agitated and at the point of losing her temper.

Reading this sign, King Zora takes it as his cue to quickly change the subject and let her be before he ends up provoking a storm. "I suppose I shall just...let you think about that... *Ahem*" says he before turning to Zora Jr instead. "So how have _you_ been, my son? I suppose this is your first time watching a Hylian tournament, yes? One of the first things you will notice is how they tend to prefer swords instead of spears like our kind is more accustomed to. Are you looking forward to this?"

Prince Zora Jr. gives a hesitant shrug. "Mm. I dunno... I still don't like violence."

"That is most certainly understandable," says King Zora. "Still, as prince, the art of battle is something that you have a duty to learn for yourself someday. And at your age, the time to begin your training will soon be upon you. It will be quite beneficial for you to observe this tournament and learn from it so that you will be better prepared."

Ruto gnashes her teeth in frustration as her father says this to her younger brother. Her agitation growing by he second, she turns to the side with a huff and crosses her arms with her fins flapping all the more aggressively.

"Do I have to..?" asks Zora Jr. "I really hate the idea of handling dangerous weapons, and the _last_ thing I ever want to do is have to kill anything..."

"And I hope as much as you do that the need will never arise, but that is not for either of us to decide," King Zora explains. "If Zora's Domain should ever fall treat to war during your lifetime, then it will be you, the prince of the line of De Bon, whom our people will turn to for protection. It is a burden that befalls every son born of our bloodline, and, for the sake of our people, we must bear it. That is why learning the art of battle is a must for any prince. It is your duty and your place to train."

Ruto cannot take listening to this any longer. She finally turns to her father and loudly snaps in an enraged, protestant rant;

"And yet the _princess,_ even if she _wants_ to become a warrior and is _fully capable_ of doing so, is only ever told that it is _not_ her place! That she is only meant to stick to her studies, be introduced to an endless mob of unwanted suitors, and leave the fighting to the men! And no matter how strongly she insists that she really _does_ want to train; she has to first wait until she has come of age and prove to everyone that she really is fit for battle, and that her desire to practice her battle-skills is not just some stupid _'childhood-phase'_ she's going though, before she is even allowed to _start_ her training! And only while still going against everyone's expectations and protests, and has to deal with constantly being reminded that no one thinks she should be doing it! Whereas her _little brother_ -who says so himself that he doesn't even _want_ to learn to fight- is told from a young age that it is _required_ of him just because he's _male!"_

King Zora is taken aback by Ruto's harsh reprehension. Many surrounding eyes are drawn to the commotion as the Zoran king stands speechless before his resentful daughter. "Well, uh... N-now, Ruto...there is no need to get so excited..! It is just that_ I...um_"

"It's just that you think only your _son_ is qualified to develop any sort of fighting-skills but your daughter is not!" Ruto berates. "It's just that you think, because I'm a girl, that automatically makes me too weak to be able to properly fend for myself, and so I need to always have a _man_ in my life to protect me instead! It's just that you think every princess's role in the face of danger is to be the stupid, helpless _damsel-in-distress_ calling out for some heroic knight or prince to come in and save the day for her...because she's too _pathetic_ to be capable of doing anything for herself!"

"What?! No! That is not true..!"

"Yes it is! You think all I'm good for is as a prize for some lucky _bozo_ to win the hand of at the Silverscale tournament! And that I should just happily go along with whatever you tell me to...because I'm just some senseless piece of property made to be dependent on a man and shouldn't be capable of having any thoughts, feelings, or desires of my own! ...All because my biology is not that of one who is equipped to take a wee while standing up!"

Rufa, the royal attendant, speaks up; "Princess! That is _not_ an appropriate thing to say in public! Nor is it acceptable to talk like that to your own father and_!"

"SHUT UP, RUFA!" Ruto furiously interrupts, causing him to jolt back in intimidation and nearly drop his monocle from his eye in fluster. "I've heard enough of your annoying voice already!"

Prince Zora Jr merely sinks in his seat as he sits awkwardly and silently in the middle of this ongoing quarrel, just wishing for it to end soon.

King Zora stands agape in bewilderment. "N-now see here, Ruto..! None of that is true in the least! It is just that_ It is just that we all have our own roles to play in life, and_ And that the world we live in is has different expectations and demands for each of us that we all need to_"

Just then, a horn is blown to commence the tournament, granting King Zora the interruption he so greatly hoped for.

"Oh! Would you look at that! The tournament is starting now! Let us all just ease our minds and enjoy the performance."

Princess Ruto turns to the side and crosses her arms with a huff. She knows very well that her father is avoiding confrontation, but there is little she can do about it. _"Humph!_ And you will just fall asleep before it's even halfway through without even knowing who won! ...As always."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! A little more about Ruto is being hinted at here. What is this "Silverscale" tournament her father speaks of? That will all be revealed in due time...**


	21. 3-5 Stop That Yapping!

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 3: Tale of Two Princesses_

 **Chapter 5  
** _Stop That Yapping!_

Two swordsmen square off in the arena. The large crowd of spectators in Hyrule Castle's stadium watch eagerly as the younger contender quickly gains the upperhand against his significantly older opponent. Within seconds of sparring, the more experienced swordsman is overpowered by his much younger foe.

The prodigious adolescent, garbed in red and with long locks of auburn hair flowing behind him, proves to be very skilled for someone so young. His years of training under his legend-worthy father have polished his swordsmanship beyond his years. He overthrows the older contender with ease.

"...And he is down!" the announcer declares. "Victory for the first round goes to Volker Pent! Shining with the brilliance of his famed father! Could we possibly have another legend in the making here?! It looks like we can afford to have great expectations for the son of the great Sir Agias Pent!"

A round of applause echoes throughout the stadium. Volker swings his hair in triumph and waves to the cheering crowd.

Most specifically; to the attractive maidens among the said crowd.

Princess Zelda is one such maiden. She claps politely, but is not really all that interested in the whole tournament.

Volker catches sight of her in her booth. He waves and gives her a wink, though she notices not. He also briefly considers blowing a kiss in her direction, but his mind is instantly changed when he remembers that her father is sitting right next to her.

 _Wait_ Who is that maiden in the other booth nearby?_

Volker turns to see the royal Zora family spectating the event from their own booth. He is pleased to see that their princess was also able to witness his victory and assumes she must be impressed with his display of sheer manliness. Although he is not nearly as interested in gaining the affection of a Zora as he would be of the princess of Hyrule herself, he cannot resist the opportunity to make an impression on a pretty maiden -especially not one who is royalty- and so he makes sure to give her a conspicuous wink as well.

 _She must be so pleased to see such a masculine hunk in action today!_

Princess Ruto, however, is not pleased in the least. "Aw, fishsticks! I was rooting for that buffoon to lose!" she grumbles under her breath. "And did he just _wink_ at me?! The nerve of that hair-headed freak! Why, he may even be as bad as Xiphias back home!"

"Well, well! Was that ever an impressive display!" comments King Zora, not hearing his daughter's complaints over the cheers of the crowd. "I must say; that Hylian's swordsmanship is quite formidable for one so young! Why, he may even be as good as Xiphias back home! Wouldn't you say, Ruto?"

Ruto rolls her eyes. " _Hmph._ If _I_ was allowed in this silly tournament, I'd whip that lowly Hylian before he could say_"

" _BARK! BARK! BARK! BARK!"_

Ruto jolts in alarm. She turns to see Mamamu Yan taking a seat just a few rows behind her with Richard in her arms. Being unfamiliar with Zoras, the annoying little dog barks relentlessly at the foreign creatures in front of him.

"Oh, great..." Ruto grumbles to herself. "I'm stuck between one annoying animal and another. This day just keeps getting worse..."

As the next pair of contenders step into the arena, Prince Zora VIII observes the strange mask donned by the referee.

It appears to be made of gold and its design resembles a set of teeth that cover only the wearer's mouth region. There are two lenses atop of the said 'teeth' for the wearer's eyes to peer through, although the eye-holes themselves are the only part of the mask to extend to the upper half of the wearer's face.

Curious, the young prince decides to ask his father about it; "So why does the referee wear that weird mask?"

"Ah. That, my son, is no mere mask," King Zora answers; "It is, in fact, a special charm that grants the wearer the ability to see someone's remaining life-force with his own eyes. It helps the referee to see if a competitor's energy is getting too low to safely continue so that he can be withdrawn from battle before his life becomes threatened."

"Life-force..." remarks the prince. "That's what my Healing Grace restores, right?"

"Yes, and it is also the very essence of life in this world," King Zora explains. "The very first thing that any warrior must do before starting his training is to learn to utilize his life-force to protect himself from harm. When a warrior's life-force is strong, he can easily survive what would have normally been a fatal blow with only minor damage, but if it runs too low, it can no longer protect him, and the damage he takes from the next blow will be permanent...and likely fatal. Fortunately, you have been blessed with a very rare and invaluable power that allows you to replenish life-force and cure injury with your mere touch. That will most certainly prove useful beyond measure if you should ever have to lead our people in battle."

"It still doesn't work on myself though..." says Zora Jr. "I really don't think the battlefield is the place for me. I think I'd be more useful as a healer than a fighter. So instead of training to fight, can't I just focus on mastering my healing powers and stay off the battlefield? Let Ruto be the one that leads our people in battle if the Zoras ever have to go to war."

Ruto butts in; "I second that!"

"It is necessary even for a healer to learn some level of self-defense," reminds King Zora. "You would not want to be caught ill-prepared if an enemy would ever attempt to land an assault against you, now would you?"

The young prince sinks into his seat at the idea of someone attempting to assault him. Such a thought fills him with dread about the day he will have to grow up and face the future. "You're scaring me..."

King Zora is filled with mirth at his son's response and bursts out with a hearty laugh. "Well, I should hope that peace in Hyrule will endure throughout the entire lifetime of my children, and that no need for either of you to defend yourselves should ever arise. But just for the sake of caution; you should still always regard your training as a necessity so that you will never need to fear being unprepared for such an occasion. But let us not fret about what-ifs; let us sit back and enjoy the tournament. After all, the reason we Zoras are here at Hyrule Castle today is to celebrate not only Princess Zelda's birthday and coming-of-age ceremony, but also our amicable relations with our Hylian friends and remember that we are at peace. There is no need to worry about any threats of war today."

"( _Humph!_ Some _'friends'_ those Hylians are!)" Ruto thinks begrudgingly to herself. "(We'll see how long this _'peace'_ with them lasts once we've_)"

" _BARK! BARK! BARK! BARK!"_

"Gah! That annoying little mutt!" exclaims the exasperated princess as she turns towards the little dog barking relentlessly behind her. "Who brings their dog to a sparring tournament anyhow?! Why is that even allowed?!"

She is not the only one to find it irritating; many of the other nearby spectators of the tournament are growing just as annoyed and have begun to move to find better seats.

"I don't suppose it is too late to change seats now, is it?" asks she. "If I have to listen to that infernal fleabag any longer I will personally glue its yapping mouth shut and seal it with cement! Just as I have always wanted to do to Rufa!"

Prince Zora Jr snorts with mirth as he tries to hold back his laughter at this remark. Rufa glares to Princess Ruto with an annoyed grunt but refrains from saying anything.

Then again, neither does King Zora say anything...

"Well?!" Ruto presses. "Can we get a different seat or not..?! Father..?"

Haring no response, she turns to face her father again...

And finds that he has already fallen fast asleep and is snoring contently to himself in his throne.

"* _Zzzzzzzzzzzz...*_ "

"Oh, come on! _Already?!"_ scoffs Ruto in disbelief. "You were _just_ having a father-to-son talk with Junior fifteen seconds ago! How can anyone fall asleep that fast?! And in the middle of all this noise, on top of it!"

The barking continues;

" _BARK! BARK! BARK! BARK!"_

"Gah! I can't take it any longer!" Ruto complains. "Can't that stupid thing just shut up already?!"

Rufa speaks up with sarcasm; "Shall I have a word with the dog for you, Princess..?"

"Why not?" Ruto replies with sarcasm of her own; "You would probably be the best one for the job...since you and that mutt do seem to be on the same page to me."

Rufa frowns in annoyance but still holds his tongue in the presence of his sassy princess. A slight sigh of reluctance escapes his breath. "I suppose I could talk to one of the castle's officials and see if there is there is anything that can be done about this..."

"Yes, Rufa; go and make yourself useful for a change. Find out if they have any rules against loud and annoying animals in the stadium. -Of course, that may mean that _you_ will have to go and wait outside as well..."

With a vexed scowl on his face, Rufa reluctantly complies and heads out through the crowds to find an official. He grumbles under his breath on his way.

Prince Zora Jr, although partially amused at the exchange of banter, cannot help but feel that his sister was considerably more rude to Rufa than necessary. "That was kinda funny what you said to Rufa, but...don't you think it might have been a little _too_ harsh..?"

Ruto cares not. "What? That I called him an animal? Nah. The comparison is not much of an exaggeration when you consider just how much alike he is to that annoying fleabag back there; they are both loud, obnoxious, ugly, and each a living pain in_"

 _*Chomp!*_

"AAAAAAAAHHHYYYEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Princess Ruto springs to her feet in a jolt. The dog whose incessant barking has been annoying her has been allowed by his owner to wander freely and now clings viciously to the fin on the Zora princess's left hip with his teeth!

She flaps her fin frantically to shake off the attacking canine while screaming in paranoia at an earsplitting volume (which her father manages to sleep right through); "GET IT OFF OF ME! GET THIS HAIRY INCARNATION OF LIVING TORMENT OFF OF ME!"

The more her fin flaps, the tighter Richard grips his teeth into it as he now holds on for dear life.

Ruto can take it no longer. She thrusts the butt end of her rod to knock the dog in the face.

 _*Whack!*_

Richard at last loses his grip and drops to the floor. Yelping in terror, he runs back into the arms of Mamamu Yan for protection.

" _Yipe!_ * _whimper whimper_ *"

Mamamu Yan quickly takes Richard into her arms and cradles him protectively. "Richard! Oh, my poor sweet baby! What did that vicious creature do to you?!" She looks to Princess Ruto with a scowl furious enough to slay a thousand dragons if looks could kill. "You! How _dare_ you treat my darling Richard like that, you heartless beast! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

"What do you mean what do _I_ have to say for myself?!" Ruto protests. " _You_ should keep a better watch on your dog and keep it from attacking anyone! That thing just _bit_ me! There is no way you couldn't have seen that! Just look at the mark in my fin!"

The remark only offends Mamamu Yan all the more. "' _That thing'?!_ Of all the nerve! Can't you see what a precious creature my little Richard is?! I will _not_ tolerate you speaking so lowly of him as if he were just any other dog!"

"I don't care _what_ you think!" Ruto hisses. "That _'precious creature'_ of yours is an absolute nuisance! It was bad enough that you brought that noisy _fleabag_ in here and forced everyone around you to have to put up with that infernal barking while you did _nothing_ to keep him quiet, but now your _'precious creature'_ just deliberately _attacked_ me while I was seated in my own booth! And you have the nerve to sit there and _defend_ that mutt?! You should be taking responsibility!"

" _Humph!_ How rude!" Mamamu Yan scoffs. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe _you're_ the one causing him to act this way?! You can't blame him for feeling uncomfortable about having to share space with a race of _monsters!"_

Ruto is deeply irked by this remark.

Her violet eyes burn with the rage of a dragon awoken abruptly from its slumber. She gnashes her teeth like an agitated shark. Her fins begin to flap wildly with the fury of a raging hurricane. She is like a volcano about to erupt.

Zora Jr takes this cue to hide silently behind his seat before his sister's temper is blown. He does not want to be caught in the wake of her wrath once it is unleashed.

An enraged hiss escapes Ruto's breath as her eyes lock fiercely onto the obnoxious Hylian before her;

" _What._ Did. You. Just. Call me..?!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! So have you ever wondered how things would go if the condescending Mamamu Yan and truculent Princess Ruto were ever to meet? Well, now we're about to find out...and it can't end well! o_0'**

 **Anyway, do you recognize that item the referee wears? It's the "Hero's Charm" from _The Wind Waker._ Also, Prince Zora Jr is mentioned to have the same healing power as Mipha from _Breath of the Wild_ does, which is something not in the original version of this story. I couldn't call it "Mipha's Grace", of course, since she hasn't existed yet at this point of the timeline, so I just dubbed it "Healing Grace" instead.**


	22. 3-6 Discrimination

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 3: Tale of Two Princesses_

 **Chapter 6  
** _Discrimination_

" _What._ Did. You. Just. Call me..?!"

Offence and fury are evident in the Zora princess's words. Her violet eyes stare down the insolent Hylian woman before her with enough rage burning within them to send a King Dodongo cowering like a whipped rabbit.

Mamamu Yan, however, remains as prissy as ever. "Nothing short of what you and your kind _are,"_ she scoffs condescendingly; "A slimy race of fish-like monsters who merely _look_ human and use this sneaky resemblance to pass for a more respectable civilization. -Though not _all_ of us humans are blind to your true nature...which you have clearly demonstrated just now."

The commotion is attracting much attention. Although King Zora continues to sleep through it, the eyes of the surrounding crowds are being drawn to the heated quarrel breaking out between the condescending Hylian woman and infuriated Zora princess;

Ruto: "My kind...is NOT a race of _'monsters'!_ We are a _proud_ and _civil_ race! And contrary to the political hierarchy; we are _far more_ respectable than you insolent humans could _ever_ be!"

Mamamu Yan: "Well! If _that's_ so... Then maybe you should tell that to all those Zora savages responsible for attacking countless innocent travelers and fishermen unprovoked! Humans and others can't even venture anywhere _near_ the rivers without risk of being singed by a sudden fireball thanks to those vicious creatures that you so arrogantly refer to as a _'proud and civil race'!"_

Ruto: "Those Zoras you speak of are of a different tribe entirely and you _know_ it! It is they whom my kind knows as the Geozards, and they are just as much of an enemy to my people as they are to yours! My kind is not even _capable_ of breathing fire!"

Mamamu Yan: "But you are still an offshoot of their line of descent! Facts are facts; you might call the other Zoras by a new name, but that doesn't change the fact that you are still related to them. Your kind and theirs remain one and the same!"

Ruto: "WHAT?! How dare you associate my tribe with those lowborn barbarians! We might share a name and ancestry, but we are _nothing_ alike! We are at _least_ as different as you Hylians are to those thieving Gerudo!"

Mamamu Yan: "Well, at least the Gerudo are still _human.._.unlike _your_ kind who are descended from literal _monsters._ And traces of your ancestral origins are still quite plain to see in your _animal-like_ behavior..!"

Ruto: "You have no right to speak so disrespectfully about me or my people! In fact; you have no right to even be speaking at all! I am a _princess!_ You cannot just freely speak to royalty without permission! Your behavior is completely out of line!"

Mamamu Yan: _[in mock remorse]_ "Oh, _really._.?! I am _so_ sorry..! I guess I didn't realize that I, a respectable Hylian of high-class, was expected to be subordinate to some arrogant _fish-brat_ simply because she is spoiled enough to be permitted to wear a silly crown atop her head!"

 _Fish-brat!_

Hearing such an insulting name used against his sister, Prince Zora Jr rolls quickly from his seat and completely hides under it. He knows very well what is to come...

 _That human woman is dead meat..._

Ruto's eyes burn with twice the fury as before. The Rod of Jabuni in her hand begins to illuminate with her impending rage waiting eagerly to be unleashed.

"You_! You INSOLENT _._.!" hisses the enraged princess. "I'll have you know that it takes a LOT of nerve to call a Zora a _'fish'!_ I will not tolerate your obnoxious discourtesy any longer! I demand that you take back _every_ word you just said and leave my sight with your dog at once!"

Mamamu Yan only smirks arrogantly. "And what makes you think you have any power to command _me?_ Your royal authority only applies within your own tribe. Hylians such as myself are above you."

"You most certainly are _NOT_ above me!" Ruto objects. "Even if you are not under my reign, that does _not_ make you superior!"

"On the contrary; we Hylians are proudly and rightfully referred to as the _closest to the gods,"_ says Mamamu Yan smugly. "That means that even the lowest of Hylians outranks the highest of Zoras, as _your_ lowborn race will always remain the offspring of _monsters_ and share in their inferiority _._ Your violent treatment towards my poor, sweet Richard, is proof enough of how strongly your ancestors' _savage_ nature still lingers in your genes!"

Ruto has heard enough. "That does it..!" she hisses as she raises her rod.

The ruby sphere on the Rod of Jabuni glows and eerie blue. A magical glyph bearing the symbol of the Zora tribe appears on the ground before Ruto and swiftly moves beneath Mamamu Yan's feet as she cradles Richard in her arms.

"Let me show you just how _'savage'_ a Zora can be towards those foolish enough to needlessly provoke her!" Ruto exclaims before snapping her rod downward and activating her magic spell; " _Hydros!_ "

Without any time for her target to react, a column of water appears from the glyph...

Gushing Mamamu Yan and her dog straight into the air!

 _*Sploosh!*_

Mamamu Yan screams in horror. Richard yelps in panic. The surrounding crowds gasp as they watch the pair get lifted six feet over the ground by the torrent.

...Until the fountain dies down and drops them both.

 _*Thud!*_

The two land flat on the ground drenched head to toe. Mamamu Yan's makeup is leaking down her face and staining her dress. "My hair! My dress! My makeup! My _Richard!_ This is a nightmare!" she gasps in horror.

"You only brought that upon yourself, you arrogant reprobate!" Ruto scolds. "Now leave my sight at once before I am forced to unleash my _true_ wrath!"

"I don't deserve this treatment!" Mamamu Yan protests. "Somebody, do something!"

"That's right; you _don't_ deserve that," says Ruto. "What you _really_ deserve is something _far worse!_ Once the guards hear about all the ruckus you have caused, I'll see to it that you are properly dealt with and thrown out of_!"

Suddenly a whistle is blown. The guards have arrived!

 _*Tweeeeeeeet!*_

"Halt right there!"

Ruto smirks. "Well, here they are now! Now you're going to get it!"

A pair of guards come running in a haste. Rufa returns not far behind them.

"It's about time you showed up and did something!" says Ruto, pointing to Mamamu Yan and her dog with her rod."Now please remove this loud, obnoxious, downright _hideous_ animal from my sight! ...Oh, and do have her take the dog with her."

But the guards do not seize Mamamu Yan...

Instead, they surround Ruto!

"What happened here?!" orders one, pointing his spear towards the Zora princess. "Drop your weapon and explain yourself at once!"

"WHAT?!" says Ruto in disbelief. "You can't be serious!"

Mamamu Yan immediately points to Ruto and makes her accusations; "This _savage creature_ just violently attacked my poor puppy in cold blood! And when I tried to be rational and reason with her, she only grew all the more vicious and _ruthlessly_ assaulted me with an evil spell! Arrest this monster at once!"

Rufa believes the story and scolds Ruto; "Princess! That is most certainly an unacceptable way to behave! What has gotten into you?!"

"Is this true?!" presses a guard.

Ruto is about to respond. Her words are quickly cut off as none other than Pompie and Vera, the town gossips seated a short distance from the commotion, butt in and defend their associate Mamamu Yan;

"It's true!" shouts Pompie "I saw it with my own eyes! That vicious Zora just attacked her with a water spell that sent her skyward! She nearly killed her!"

"She's a monster!" adds Vera. "Just like her ancestors! Mamamu Yan was only minding her own business when that Zora just threw a violent temper tantrum and attacked her in cold blood!"

Ruto scoffs at their exaggerations. "Oh, come on! _She_ started it! I only finished it! She deserved it!"

"Then you _did_ attack her!" concludes a guard.

"Only in self-defense!" Ruto defends. "That filthy mutt attacked me first!"

Mamamu Yan retorts; "How _dare_ you repeatedly insult and mistreat my precious Richard! He only bit you because you wouldn't stop provoking him! He's a good boy! A real sweetheart! And all you do is abuse and belittle him for no reason!"

"He's a _nuisance!"_ Ruto objects. "He came down into _my_ space and _attacked_ me!"

Rufa butts in; "Princess Ruto! That is quite enough!"

"But_!"

"No _'buts'!_ You have already brought enough shame upon us all with this disgraceful scene, young lady!" Covering her mouth with his hand, Rufa turns to the guards and apologizes; "I am terribly sorry for any trouble she may have caused! She has been quite the problem-child ever since her mother had passed away and not even her father has ever been able to get her to mind her manners!"

Ruto grows all the more irked. _Not even her own attendant is permitting her to speak her case!_ She decides to convince Rufa to unhand her using the most efficient method possible.

She bites his hand.

 _*Chomp!*_

"OWWWWWW!"

"Unhand me at once, traitor!" scolds she.

"Hey! Knock it off!" shouts one guard.

"She's out of control!" says the other.

Mamamu Yan hesitates not to antagonize further; "Aha! She attacks even her own people! That _proves_ what a savage creature this walking sushi is!"

" _'Walking sushi'?!"_ Ruto hisses. "Who are you calling a _'walking sushi'?!"_

King Zora suddenly awakens. He looks around the area excitedly; " _Zzzzzz_?! *snort*_ Mmmph_?! What_?! Sushi?! Where?! Where?!"

"Your Highness!" says Rufa. "I am terribly sorry, but I am afraid your daughter has just caused quite the ruckus!"

"I did not!" protests Ruto. "That _fat lady_ did!"

" _'Fat lady'?!"_ scoffs Mamamu Yan in offence. "Just listen to the way she insults me for no reason! Surely any respectable king would not tolerate such uncivil behavior from his own daughter in public!"

"Shut your mouth, you insufferable swine!" snaps Ruto. "It is just as fat as the rest of you!"

King Zora rubs the drowsiness from his eyes. "Now, now, Ruto... You must not call people _'fat'_..." he corrects. "For one thing; it is very rude. But more importantly; if _she_ is fat...then what does that make _ME..?!"_

"I don't care!" shouts Ruto. "That is not a _quarter_ as rude as the things this pig has already said against _ME!_ Why should I be the one to have to tolerate_!"

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" calls out an authoritative voice from behind, cutting Ruto off in the middle of her objection.

 _That voice..._ Ruto recognizes it instantly.

She turns around slowly to face with contempt the one whom it belongs to. He approaches in an irked huff. Anger and scorn towards her are written all over his face.

Everyone gathered bows low in his presence.

Everyone but Princess Ruto, that is. No one can convince her to bow to this man... The very man whom she personally resents more than anyone else in the world.

 _King Roark._

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Now we see a little more about what Ruto has to put up with from Hylians. This story takes place in an early era where the Zora have not quite been fully accepted yet due to their origin as a race of monsters. Also, Ruto now demonstrates how the Rod of Jabuni is capable of summoning columns of water, much like the Water Rod from _TriForce Heroes_ does.**

 **Now, just to avoid confusion, I think it's necessary that I point out that no official connection between the Zora and the Geozard has actually been confirmed by Nintendo. The Geozards are a race of fish-warriors appearing in _Phantom Hourglass_ and _Spirit Tracks_ that do look pretty much identical to the evil Zoras and even share their ability to breath fire, yet they haven't been referred to as "Zoras" at all, despite being seemingly the same thing. I don't know if Nintendo ever intended for them to be some sort of descendants or not, but because they seem no different at all from the original Zora, I'm just going with the head-canon that "Geozard" is just another name for the evil Zora species that the good ones use to distinguish them from themselves. Don't confuse this with actual canon.**


	23. 3-7 Princess Vs King

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 3: Tale of Two Princesses_

 **Chapter 7  
** _Princess Vs King_

With much anger in his eyes, the Hylian King approaches the scene.

Ruto is the only one not bowing in his presence. She stands her ground with determination and pride, fully ready to challenge the consequences she knows will come from this defiance.

The guards grovel before the king's presence. "Your Highness! There is no need for you to trouble yourself over this minor ruckus..!" pleads one. "Please, rest yourself! We are most certainly capable of dealing with this ourselves..!"

The king merely silences him with a motion of his hand while still not taking his hateful eyes off of the defiant Zora before him. He fully intends to deal with her personally. "... _Now_ what chaos have you caused, you troublesome Zora?!" he says to her, anger obvious in his voice.

The watching Zoras fear for their princess. Seeing the most powerful man in Hyrule in such a state of rage would surely make anyone cower.

But not Ruto.

She faces him with confidence and levity, speaking up with bold sass and sarcasm to let him know he is not the only one with a mind of his own to speak;

"Well, if it isn't the great King Roark Flavius Hyrule; the _supposed_ _'_ descendant of the goddess Hylia', and Hyrule's ultimate dictator_ Oh! I mean; Hyrule's _one and only_ 'rightful ruler'...no matter how badly he obviously stinks at his job."

"Ruto!" scolds King Zora. "Manners, please..!"

King Roark's countenance grows all the more infuriated. The surrounding crowds are struck silent, thinking Ruto to be a fool for speaking so arrogantly to the most powerful man in the country.

She could not care less.

"I would hold my tongue if I were you, young Zora!" scolds the enraged King of Hyrule. "You have caused enough trouble already, and now you fail to show me, your high king, proper respect! Do not forget that I alone hold the power to decide whether you should be arrested right now or not!"

Ruto responds only with all the more sass. "Oh, of course! Of course! Now, where are my manners?" says she in mock-remorse before giving a sarcastic bow. "A thousand pardons, good sir! It appears I have completely overlooked the fact that however _'justice'_ is carried out in this kingdom of yours is entirely a matter of _your_ personal decision rather than actual fairness. I suppose I really should try to be more flattering towards you -like every other weak-minded sycophant beneath you does- since we all know that the outcome of this case depends _solely_ on who holds your _personal favor_ and has absolutely _nothing_ to do with who is really in the right or wrong..."

"Silence!" orders King Roark. "The very fact that you have acted so disrespectfully towards me is a fully punishable crime in itself! I already hold the right to have you arrested at once!"

The surrounding Zoras gasp with worry. But Ruto remain unperturbed. She knows he would never really carry out this threat.

More specifically; he _cannot._ Not without risking the Zora tribe's loyalty towards him.

"Oh, really?" she says smugly. "You must forgive me. I did not realize that honesty was considered an act of disrespect according to you. But considering how there are _also_ laws against _lying_ to Hylian royalty, I guess that leaves me doomed to commit a crime by your standards either way, since any _'respect'_ I could possibly show to a biased hypocrite like yourself could only ever be an act of dishonesty."

"Ruto!" King Zora scolds again. "That is quite enough! Apologize at once!"

"Apologize for _what..?!"_ Ruto scoffs. "I am merely telling it as it really is instead of condescending to insincere flattery... unlike _the rest_ of you, who all willingly let yourselves get pushed around by this _dictating reprobate_..! Is that so wrong?"

"Rutoria De Bon! I said; _ENOUGH!"_ her father scolds all the more before turning to King Roark to apologize on her behalf; "Please, King Roark! I understand that my daughter and you may not be on the friendliest of terms, but if I may be so bold as to ask that you do not hold this against her, I assure you that I, as her father, will see to it myself that her misbehavior will be properly dealt with!"

" _Humph..._ So be it, then. I will leave her punishment to you..." says the Hylian King. "But if she causes any more trouble today, she can spend the rest of her stay here in my dungeon until you take her back to Zoras' Domain!"

"Understood, sir..." King Zora submissively agrees. "I promise you that she will be at her best behavior for the rest of the day and that this will all be corrected."

"See to it that it is..." King Roark says sternly as he turns to take his leave.

Mamamu Yan is dissatisfied. Bowing low, she pleads to the Hylian King with a groveling approach;

"*Ahem* Excuse me, my lord; I don't mean to be of any disturbance to His Majesty, and I truly do trust and respect your infinitely wise judgment, but if I may be so bold as to ask; you do not really intend to let this vicious one off so easily, do you? She has already assaulted both me and my poor puppy in cold blood with an evil spell -completely unprovoked!- and then went on to savagely attack one of her own like a wild animal when he had tried to contain her, and _now_ she has even gone so far as to commit the most _unforgivable_ of sins and outright disrespected Your Majesty in the face of the public! Surely His Majesty would not allow such crimes to go unpunished! This savage Zora has proven herself to be both a danger to the public and a living dishonor towards your most noble reign!"

King Roark is unconcerned. "Ma'am, I am leaving her punishment to her father. If you have any complaints against her, just_ ..!"

The Hylian king suddenly jolts back in startle upon noticing Mamamu Yan's appearance; her makeup smearing down her face; her hair hanging in a complete mess; and yet not a drop of water is to be found on her to show that she had just been soaked (the water summoned by Ruto's Hydros spell is generated by magic and thus dries up in a matter of seconds), making her look all the more ridiculous.

He closes his eyes and turns away from her, shielding her out of his vision with his hand in embarrassment as he continues; "_Just...present your case to King Zora and let him take care of it..."

Ruto grows all the more irked with his conduct. "Oh, so you are just going to walk away without settling what you even came over here for to begin with?" she calls out daringly to him.

Her father tries to shush her; "Ruto..."

She ignores him and only further presses King Roark; "Why the sudden change in attitude? Just a minute ago you were ever so eager to pause the tournament and leave your seat just to come and settle this incident yourself, even though my father and the guards were already on the scene...but _now_ after I have called you out on your unfair methods of judgment... _NOW_ you are willing to trust others to govern this case for you?!"

"Ruto..!"

"What is the matter? Are you too afraid to handle this yourself now knowing that you will only prove me right if you go on with your usual ways?! Isn't that just like you to act all high and mighty...only to excuse yourself from the scene and leave everything unresolved once your pride is at stake!"

King Roark loses his composure once more. "Silence! I have already showed you mercy by your father's bidding! Do not force me to go back on it!"

" _'Mercy'..?_ Mercy for _what?!"_ Ruto objects, still ignoring the desperate shushing of her father. "All I have done is pointed out the facts! Are you saying that I am in need of pardon just for having a valid point? Am I in the wrong for being right?!"

King Roark only grows all the more offended. "I demand you cease your disrespectful behavior at once!"

"Again, you only rebuke me for failing to show you _'proper respect'_ and completely ignore my statements..." Ruto continues to argue; "_Which just goes to prove my point! You don't care to resolve _anything!_ All that matters to you is that you have everyone groveling at your feet! Some king _you_ are!"

"I am warning you for the last time, young Zora..!" King Roark hollers.

By now, all the other Zoras are thrown into major panic.

"Ruto! Enough is enough!" King Zora yells frantically, desperate to silence his daughter before she is imprisoned. "Good King Roark, I am very much aware of how greatly unacceptable my daughter's behavior may be right now, but I beg you; please accept my apology on her behalf and allow me to deal with her myself! I will be sure to_"

Ruto interrupts with protest, tears of frustration slowly forming in her eyes; "NO! Quit apologizing for me! I am fed up with this! Why should _we_ always be the ones to have to apologize every time there is a dispute between Zoras and Hylians?! Have you all forgotten what this degenerate did to us?! Yet no one makes _him_ apologize even when it's long overdue!"

" _'Degenerate'?!"_ says a greatly offended King Roark. "That is enough out of you!"

"Well, you _are_ a degenerate!" Ruto insists.

King Roark reaches the end of his patience. "Now see here!" yells he; "I am the high king of Hyrule! The descendant of the goddess Hylia! And _you_ are but the daughter of one of my many subordinates! You have no right to be raising your voice to me as you have, and such disrespectful behavior is punishable with death! Out of respect for your father, I have been merciful towards you thus far, but one more word of disrespect from you and I _will_ have you imprisoned! Is that clear?!"

Ruto only glares in silence...

And then spits in his face!

 _*Pattoo!*_

The surrounding crowds gasp in horror. The Hylian king turns red in anger.

"THAT DOES IT!" he hollers. "Into the dungeon with you!"

Ruto smirks smugly. "What_? I did not say a word of disrespect, now did I?!"

King Zora tries again to plead for mercy; "Good King Roark! Please! I beg you to overlook this..!"

"She has gone too far this time!" King Roark objects. "This is public humiliation!"

Ruto bares her teeth. "Oh, you want to accuse me of causing _'public humiliation'_..? I'll show _you_ public humiliation..!"

She darts past the guards and toward the Hylian king with the Rod of Jabuni in hand. Before he or anyone else can react, she thrusts the bladed end straight forward, aiming for his midsection.

 _*Slash!*_

The surrounding crowds shield their eyes and scream aloud at the horrifying sight of what becomes of their king right before their eyes.

In the midst of them all, the proud King Roark stands before the public...in his underwear!

His pants have been cut and now lie split on the floor, leaving the Hylian king's undergarments exposed for the entire crowd to see as a young Zora princess smirks contently to herself at her accomplishment. "...Now _THAT_ is public humiliation!" she says proudly.

King Roark's face burns red with both anger and embarrassment alike. He greatly regrets wearing the heart-print underpants today that his wife had given him. These were supposed to be his _lucky_ underpants, yet they have now betrayed him before the public with utmost humiliation.

The reactions of the bystanders vary. Some are screaming in horror; others are booing the Zora princess who did this. Still, some are trying their hardest to hide their mirth, whereas others are unable to contain themselves and burst out laughing uncontrollably.

Prince Zora VIII at last peeks out from underneath his seat to get a look at the commotion that his sister has caused. He is among the first of the witnessing Zoras to lose composure and drops to the floor in uncontrollable laughter, although he tries (but fails) to hide it.

Upon seeing the judgmental looks he is receiving from those around him, however, he quickly regains his composure and straitens up in silence. He gives an awkward cough.

King Roark, with his face still as red as as a tomato, points to the Zora princess with one hand while using the other hold his cape over his waist to cover his undergarments from view. "Guards..! Seize her at once! And confiscate that rod of hers!"

The Zoras are horrified to watch as the Hylian guards surround their princess and attempt to seize her.

But there is nothing for them to do about it. She has already defied the warnings and provoked the Hylian king's rage beyond measure.

Princess Ruto, however, does not seem worried as the guards come upon her. On the contrary; she seems to smirk with eagerness.

As the guards come close, the Rod of Jabuni quickly illuminates in her hand. A luminous glyph appears on the ground before her and swiftly intercepts the guards' path.

"So you want to take me to the dungeon, do you..?" she taunts before activating her spell; " _Hydros!"_

 _*Spoosh!*_

The guards are lifted into the air by a sudden column of water from below their feet! Ruto then releases a blue cord made of energy from the magical sphere on her rod like a whip to catch hold of King Roark by the ankle and causes him to trip.

"Whoa..!"

 _*Thud!*_

He falls forward into the column of water and is lifted into the air with the guards. The remains of his pants are sent flying by the water pressure and land smack into Mamamu Yan's face!

"EEEEEEKK! Where am I?!" screams the paranoid woman, not realizing what just happened. "Why did everything go dark all of a sudden?! She must have struck me with another evil spell!"

Ruto taunts her opponents triumphantly; "Ha! You lot will have to try harder than _that_ to take me!"

"Ruto!" her father scolds; "Stop this and behave yourself at once!"

" _Humph!_ Don't be stupid!" scoffs she. "Why would I do _that?!_ Whether I give myself up or resist, I am still going to get thrown into the dungeons either way at this point. So I might as well make the most of this and enjoy myself while I can!"

Zora Jr scratches his chin. "She does have a point, actually..."

The column of water dies down. King Roark and the guards are dropped to the ground with a thud.

"Somebody seize her!" orders the Hylian King.

"Catch me if you can, losers!" calls a mischievous Princess Ruto as she jumps gracefully over the rail from her booth and takes off running into the arena below. This commotion is the best thing that has happened to her all day. " _Wahoo!_ Freedom!"

King Zora buries his face into his palm in exasperation. "Oh, not this again! Whatever am I going to do with that child..?"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Now, I _wanted_ to end this chapter right when Ruto slashes at King Roark with her rod, forcing the reader to have to wait until the next chapter to find out that she only cut his pants off, but that unfortunately would have made the following chapter much too long. Congrats. You ended up lucky today. LOL**

 **Anyway, in addition to her Hydros spell, Ruto's Rod of Jabuni is also capable of creating a magic whip (similar to Cia's scepter in _Hyrule Warriors)._ To what extent she can use this will be better demonstrated in the next chapter.**


	24. 3-8 Ruto's Mischief

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 3: Tale of Two Princesses_

 **Chapter 8** **  
** _Ruto's Mischief_

He knows not what happened, but an unexpected commotion seems to have arisen in the Colosseum while Volker Pent was unwinding between rounds. He looks on in confusion as the Zora princess, who was just spectating the tournament from her booth a minute ago (and, as the hotheaded swordsman assumes, could have only been routing for _him_ as any fangirl would), is now running mischievously across the stadium with her rod in hand and a defiant smirk upon her face as guards pursue.

King Roark, with his face red with anger, stands in his underpants (which Volker happens to notice bear the same heart-print pattern as his own... _Is the king copying his style or something?!)_ calling orders for the tournament to be put on hold in favor of apprehending the rebellious Zora on the loose.

The unfolding chaos momentarily baffles the elite recruit. His dim wit is slow to comprehend what is going on. He soon comes to the one and only logical conclusion he deems possible to explain the event;

"(Oh, I get it!)" thinks he. "(My performance was so awesome that the Zora princess couldn't contain herself anymore and decided she just _had_ to come down here and meet me! But since she's not allowed to interact with guys who aren't royalty, she has to cause a scene just in order to do that! Wow! I'm even more irresistible to women than I thought! Why, I'll bet it won't be long now before Princess _Zelda_ has a similar reaction to my awesomeness! Way to go, me! I'm da _MAN!)"_

Seeing his fellow swordsmen trying and failing to barricade the rowdy Zora as she sprints though, Volker decides to take it upon himself to be the hero and appease her.

"Alright everyone, I got this. Just leave everything up to me..." he says coolly as he intercepts her path. With a flick of his hair and a flash of his smile, he attempts to charm her into submission using just his irresistibly good looks and sheer manliness that (presumably) is what drove her so wild in the first place. He speaks to her in a seductive tone as she comes close; "Hey, Babe... Looking for_"

 _*Wham!*_

_Only to be cut off in his words as he takes a mighty blow from her rod in...a particularly painful spot.

Crying out in shock and agony, the pained Hylian drops to his knees. All chances of eventual fatherhood may have quite possibly just been lost to him now.

Without even giving him a second look or slowing in her pace, the remorseless Zora princess leaves him laying in pain behind her and merely continues to run on by like it was nothing. _How could she do this?! Isn't she is supposed to LIKE him?!_ The other swordsmen in hot pursuit, they too run on by the downed Volker without so much as a glance of notice in his direction.

 _First assaulted and now ignored?!_ This is too much for the red-garbed Hylian's ego. He desires to join the chase and get payback against that insolent Zora who humiliated him but his pain is yet too great. He cannot get up.

With no other options, he resorts to do the one thing that he hoped he would never have to...

He desires it not, but drastic moments like these require even the most honorable of warriors to take equally drastic measures. He does as he must;

"Daddy-y-y-y-y..!" he cries out with a whimper. "She hurt meeeeeee..!"

* * *

Guards are hot in pursuit. They are few at the moment but their numbers increase steadily as more swordsmen from the sidelines join the chase.

Yet her countenance bears not the slightest sign of worry. Rather, a mischievous grin covers the rebellious Zora princess's face as she is pursued through the stadium grounds. "So you Hylians want to take me down, do you?" she calls daringly to her pursuers behind her. "Then come and get me! Let us see who the _real_ star of this competition shall be... _Hydros!_ "

 _*Sploosh!*_

A column of water appears from a glyph summoned by Ruto using her rod and intercepts her pursuers' path. Four swordsmen are caught in the torrent and lifted into the air, briefly thrown into a daze.

"AAAAUGH..! _*glub!_ *"

Another Hylian swordsman tries to seize the Zora princess on his own while his comrades are currently caught in the water flow. "I got her! I got her!"

...But he quickly finds that her physical combat-skills are much more formidable than he had anticipated.

 _*Wham!*_

Ruto sweeps her rod under his legs. The Hylian falls flat on his back before taking a blow to the gut from the butt end of the Zoran staff, momentarily knocking the wind out of him. " _Oof!_ I don't got her..."

As the water from her previous Hydros spell dies down, the Hylians who were caught in the torrent drop to the ground in a pile.

 _*Thud!*_

"Ugh... I don't feel so good..."

"Agh! I can't feel my legs!"

"Those are _my_ legs, you dope! Get off of me!"

"Guys! Get up and grab her already!"

Groggily, the piled Hylians try to get back up and apprehend the rebellious Zora. But by the time they regain their feet, she is already way ahead of them.

"Ha! What pushovers!" says she with triumph as she leaves them all in the dirt behind her.

Another group of swordsmen intercept her path. They enclose around her. "This ends now, Zora! We're taking you to the dungeon!"

But Ruto meets them with a confident smirk. "Try it, punks!"

From the magical sphere on her rod, a blue cord made of concentrated energy is released like a whip. It is latched onto the wrist one of the Hylians before Ruto quickly runs around the group in a circle, tying them all together like cattle roped in a rodeo. Her targets swiftly bound, she detaches the other end of the magic cord from her rod and onto the ankle of one of the hogtied Hylians as she bypasses them and sprints away.

"Ha! You're going to have to do better than that!" she calls back to them. "Come and catch me!"

They try to pursue.

Only to trip and fall over together. " _WHOA._.!"

 _*Thud!*_

More and more Hylians continue to make their way into the arena in attempt to seize the misbehaving Zora princess gleefully causing commotion.

She minds not. She only finds this all the more entertaining.

Despite having such a great advantage of numbers, the Hylians appear unable to close in on the nimble Zora. She tactically uses her magical whip and Hydros spells to keep them at bay as she singles out one of them at a time to pick off in close combat, rapidly knocking her opponents to the ground one-by-one with impressive skill.

Slowed by the weight of their armor, the Hylians find it difficult to keep up with Ruto as she dances around their attacks with swift and graceful movements, taunting them as she does so. Her light garb gives her an agile advantage over them.

"Yes! YES!" she nearly squeals with thrill. "I feel SO _alive_..!"

Even more Hylians come to surround her. She cannot keep up this pace much longer.

Yet she remains unfazed. She has not nearly run out of strategies yet...

Ruto dashes through the arena while continuing to sidestep her opponents with dance-like movements. Her spirits undeterred, she makes her way back to the edge of the arena and casts her Hydros spell to create a pillar of water to propel herself upward and over the wall to the spectators' booths where her pursuers cannot follow.

Landing atop the rail, she turns to her rear to the pursuing Hylians back in the arena below...

Sticking out her tongue while pulling down her eyelid and slapping her buttocks in their direction in a taunting gesture. "Nyah! Nyah! Now I'm up here! Try and catch me, slowpokes!"

Some of the Hylians begin to lift one another over the wall to resume pursuit. Ruto is already way ahead of them. Her long years of personally training herself to master her sense of balance has rendered running across a narrow guardrail like this easy for her.

She makes her way around the booths, leaping over the crowds by using the many benches (as well as the heads of a few spectators) as stepping stones to get around quickly as her pursuers struggle to push their way through the sea of people.

While sprinting across the crowds, she extends her magical whip and attaches it to the bottom of one of the benches as she passes by. She then detaches the other end from her rod and onto another bench across from it, subtly creating a low-hanging cord strung across the middle of the path behind her without stopping in her sprint.

As her pursuers follow, they fail to notice it.

...At least not until they catch their feet under it and fall face-forward in a pile.

 _*Thud!*_

"Ha ha! I am unbeatable!" Ruto triumphantly declares on the run. "No Hylian can take _this_ Zora into custody! Not a chance! I_! _Whoa..!"_

While running across the railing, she comes to a sudden halt as her path is intercepted by a familiar, female warrior with a naginata in hand. She stands atop the rail with perfect balance. She looks Ruto in the eye with a stern countenance. "...Then how about a _Sheikah?_ "

Ruto recognizes this warrior instantly. She is not an opponent to take lightly; "Impa..!"

"Enough is enough, Princess DeBon!" Impa scolds. "Not only is this behavior dishonoring towards the royal family of Hyrule, but you are also disgracing your _own_ family's name as well! And on your best friend's birthday, on top of it!"

 _'Best friend'..._

These words only aggravate Ruto. She crosses her arms and flicks her fins with agitation.

 _"_ _Humph!_ And just who is this _'best friend'_ you are implying?" she indignantly scoffs. "If you are referring to Zelda, then you are clearly mistaken! She is most certainly _not_ my friend! And as far as I am now convinced; she never was!"

Now Impa grows agitated. " _'Never was'.._?! What about all the times you once shared together?! The way the two of you used to play together as children, one could have been fooled into believing you to be sisters if not for the fact that you were a Zora and she a Hylian!"

"I was just too young to realize how little I really mattered to her!" Ruto retorts, anger and sorrow growing increasingly evident in her eyes. "But now I'm not so blind..."

"You mattered very much to her..." an offended Impa affirms. "Even now, she still regards you as family despite not sharing blood!"

Ruto only scoffs. "As if! You can say that all you want, but actions will always speak louder than words. And she has already proven that her personal glory is far more important to her than the very lives of me or my people!"

Her eyes burn furiously with frustration and hatred as she says this.

But at the same time, they are also slowly filling with tears, although she does well to hold them back. "...But now that I know her true colours...I will never call that capricious wretch a _'friend'_ again!" She gives Impa a hateful glare. "Nor anyone who chooses to associate themselves with her, for that matter!"

"That is enough out of you!" Impa scolds. "I will not tolerate your contempt towards the princess nor your public misbehavior any longer! Now come quietly and perhaps His Highness will be gracious enough to lighten your punishment..."

"Not a chance! If you want to take me away..." Ruto twirls her rod, stylishly positioning it in her hand as she takes a fighting-stance. "You will first have to take me down!"

Impa looks to the Zora with a scornful yet serious countenance, appalled at this behavior but showing no fear or nonsense. She readies her naginata in hand and takes a fighting-stance of her own.

"So be it..."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Let's all just take a moment to appreciate Volker finally getting what he has long deserved, shall we? LOL**

 **Anyway, the whip generated by Ruto's Rod of Jabuni is shown here to have multiple uses; it is capable of being detached from the rod and connected to something else in a way very much like the Grappling Hook from _Phantom Hourglass_ is used. There are many creative ways she can use this technique, which you will see as time goes on.**


	25. 3-9 Rebellion Subdued

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 3: Tale of Two Princesses_

 **Chapter 9** **  
** _Rebellion Subdued_

The baffled crowds stare in awe as the Zora princess and Sheikah warrior stand atop the stone guardrail with eyes locked and weapons ready.

The Rod of Jabuni feels restless in her hand at this chance to test her skills against Impa. In truth, Ruto cannot help but feel somewhat honored to be facing a warrior of such high esteem.

A warrior whom even she herself has always felt somewhat of an admiration for growing up. The rebellious Zora will take this duel much more seriously and respectfully than when she was messing with those laughable Hylians in the arena. Impa is an opponent worthy of honor.

Both warriors bow low before engaging, keeping their eyes locked as they do.

Formalities complete, they both leap back, still keeping perfect balance on the guardrail which they stand upon, then rush forward with their weapons ready to strike.

" _HYEAH_..!"

Ruto takes a swing at her opponent, her rod leaving a trail of eerie luminescence in the wake of its sweep.

 _*Swipe!*_

But the blow connects not...

 _*Poof!*_

With a puff of orange smoke, Impa vanishes from sight. Ruto's swing catches only thin air.

Baffled, the surprised Zora princess can barely react. She looks about frantically. _Where did Impa go?!_

Her question answers itself as she takes an unexpected blow to the side. Impa has reappeared behind her and struck with a swing of her weapon!

 _*Wham!*_

Ruto falls off the side of the wall they were fighting on. She crash-lands onto the floor of the arena with a thud.

 _What a cheep trick!_

"OW! Hey!" protests the young Zora as she hits the ground. "Teleportation on the battlefield is unfair..!"

Without a word in response, Impa merely looks down at her from atop the rail. Her countenance remains stern and serious.

Ruto is outraged to have been defeated in a single blow. She will not accept such a quick defeat. She raises her rod to cast another Hydros spell to left herself back atop the wall to resume the fight.

But she is given not the chance.

 _*Clink!*_

Shackles have been thrown around her wrists. The guards have nabbed her while she is down. "You're in big trouble now, young lady!"

The words of the guard binding her sting like hornets. Frustration fills Ruto to the brim to have her duel against Impa end so quickly. _Talk about anticlimactic!_

What is worse; as she looks upon her captors, she finds that among them are not only Hylians but her fellow Zora as well. Zoran guards by the names of Huso and Amia seize her by the wrists while another, Salmo, snags the Rod of Jabuni from her grasp.

"Unhand me at once, you traitors!" protests Ruto with rage. "Give me back my rod! Your princess commands you!"

"That won't be possible, Princess," Amia asserts, a scowl upon her face. "Your father has ordered that you be taken into custody."

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself?!" Huso scolds. "You have disgraced the very name of our people right before all of Hyrule with this unacceptable display!"

Ruto continues to resist, fighting Huso and Amia's grasp as she tries to get to Salmo to take back her prized possession. "I don't care what you call it! I refuse to be pushed around by these insufferable Hylians! Now return my rod to me at once!"

"I cannot do that," says Salmo, holding the rod out of her reach. "Your father has specifically commanded that the Rod of Jabuni be taken away from you. You'll be lucky if he ever allows you to touch it again after the damage you have caused with it today!"

Hearing this panics the princess. "What?! No! My baby! He can't do that to me! _None_ of you can! He already declared it my inheritance! It's rightfully _mine!_ All mine!"

Desperately, she struggles in vain to grab hold of Salmo to take back her treasured weapon, but Amia and Huso hold her back. They will not allow it.

"There is no point resisting!" Amia insists. "Now come! You have caused more than enough shame and disaster already!"

"The name of the Zora already receives more than enough disgrace from those savage Geozards," says Huso. "We do not need our own princess making it even worse!"

Ruto objects all the more; "All I did was stand up for myself! I am fed up with always letting those obnoxious Hylians treat our kind like dirt and get away with it! What is so wrong about wanting justice to be done?!"

Huso raises his voice all the more angrily; "Does _'justice'_ involve spilling innocent blood..?!"

"What do you mean _'spilling innocent blood'.._?!" Ruto scoffs. "I never struck anyone with the bladed part of my rod in any areas that were not armored! No blood was shed!"

"Oh, _wasn't_ there..?!" says Huso rhetorically.

Amia points off towards a group of Hylian guards among the crowds. "Then what do you call... _THAT.._?!"

Ruto looks off in the direction they point. To her shock, she realizes now what is happening...

One of the guards who was chasing after her lies injured on the stone floor. It appears that he was one of those who had tripped over the magic cord she had left in her pursuers' path for them to stumble on, which had worked better than she would have ever called for, as he had apparently hit his head upon falling.

Splitting it open.

Prince Zora Jr is being escorted to the scene. The Zoras have recommended his healing powers to try and treat the injury.

Ruto struck with a sense of guilt. She can feel her stomach turn.

"I...didn't mean to go _that_ far..."

"Well the fact is; you did," Amia sneers. "You'll be lucky if that Hylian is _ever_ able to recover after what you've caused him!"

Salmo grips the Rod of Jabuni all the more tightly in his hand. "And that is why I cannot allow you to lay even so much as a finger on the Rod of Jabuni for the rest of our stay here in Castle Town!"

"Now come quietly," orders Huso. "And perhaps your father may be able to convince King Roark to go easy on your punishment."

Ruto hangs her head bitterly. "It was just an accident..."

"Hush!"

She gnashes her teeth in irritation. But there is nothing she can do. They already have her bound.

They lead her away. She follows begrudgingly, feeling somewhat burdened by guilt, but not quite willing to admit that she went too far.

 _Can she really be blamed for this? It is not as if that guy was incapable of giving up and leaving her alone, right?_

* * *

Prince Zora Jr holds his hands in quiet prayer over the injured Hylian. A blue glow emits from the young Zora's palms, shining with the serenity of the evening tide. The light envelopes the Hylian's head, slowly closing the wound as he regains consciousness.

His eyes open. He groggily gets back to his feet, but is obviously still feeling dizzy and holding his aching head in pain.

The Zora prince having done all he can, a doctor examines the Hylian. He looks over the traces of the wound and asks the man a number of questions to check his awareness before coming to his conclusion of the patient's condition.

"He'll live," says the doctor to everyone's relief. "The Zora prince's powers have done quite the miraculous job on healing the wound. The remaining head trauma should only be temporary, but it's best not to push it. Apply some ice to keep the swelling down, make sure he stays awake, and just keep a close eye on his condition in case any abnormalities should arise."

The injured Hylian is granted leave from guard duty and escorted out. His head still pounding from the blow, two others have to hold him up in support and help walk him out of the Colosseum in his temporarily uncoordinated state.

Princess Ruto is brought before King Roark. He looks down at her with eyes full of hatred and fury. His cape has been temporarily removed from his back and is now wrapped around his waist to cover his exposed undergarments.

Princess Zelda now stands by his side. Pain and dread fill her heart as her beloved childhood friend is brought forward in shackles.

Although she keeps silent in respect for her father, her sapphire eyes, filled with hurt and pity, speak for her as she gazes upon Ruto with concern.

But Ruto will not look her in the eye. She gives nothing more than a clod glance in Zelda's direction before quickly turning away in resentment, refusing to acknowledge the Hylian princess.

"Well, I hope you are satisfied with all the trouble you have caused, Princess!" says the Hylian king angrily. "If not for your brother's healing powers, that man would have more than likely perished, and I would have had to charge you with _murder_ on top of everything else!"

"That was an accident!" Ruto protests in defense. "I didn't mean to go _that_ far! -Besides...it's not like _you_ haven't done worse..."

"Ruto!" her father scolds. "Hush..!"

"Well, it's true..." she indignantly scoffs.

"Silence!" King Roark commands. "Now, I have talked to your father, and he has agreed to take full responsibility to make sure you are thoroughly punished for all that you have done, and so I wash my hands of you. But from this day forward, you are hereby banished from ever setting foot in Castle Town again!"

"Oh..?" Ruto smirks. "And here I thought I was about to be _punished.._."

King Roark refuses to dignify her remark with a response and only continues his orders; "...But as for _the rest_ of your current stay here; you will be spending it locked and chained within my dungeon until your tribe takes you back to your own domain with them tomorrow. You will be provided with minimal food and water, and you will not be permitted visitors until tomorrow. Now, do you have any questions before your confinement..?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do have a question..." she replies calmly and points to the king's beard; "Is that hairy thing hanging from your chin a dead weasel or some kind of muskrat? Or maybe it's something that had been regurgitated by a larger beast before you glued it to your face? I have always been curious, but it is so difficult to decipher its origins when it is in such a mangled state."

His face red with anger, King Roark grips is beard defensively as the vexed scowl on his face intensifies. _Of course Ruto would use her chance to ask one final question as an opportunity to insult him one last time._

"Enough of that! It is solely out of respect for your father that I am allowing you to live, but do not assume you are above the death penalty!" the flustered king scolds before turning to the guards. "Now, take her away! Keep her imprisoned and do not allow her a moment unchained! Be sure that this disgrace of a princess is never allowed within my line of sight ever again!"

Ruto scoffs. "As long as I am spared the torture of having to look upon _your_ hideous face and that... _dead thing_...that hangs from it, I am perfectly fine with whatever other abuse you may treat me to. Few things are more torturous than the sight of your ugly mug."

"...And keep her mouth covered!" King Roark adds to his orders.

Ruto defiantly sticks her tongue out at King Roark, insulting him with one final gesture before being gagged.

Zelda watches in silence and emotional pain as Ruto led away to the dungeon, shackled and chained like some dangerous criminal. It breaks her heart to this happen to her closest friend from childhood.

And by her father's orders, no less.

She cannot bear it. And if Ruto is truly being banished from Castle Town, then this really is the last she will see of her. She desires to speak with her father and try to convince him to lessen Ruto's punishment, but she knows it will be futile when his anger is at its peak like this. She will wait until he has had the chance to calm down before even bringing this up to him.

The Zoras watch with heavy hearts as Princess Ruto is taken away. It is difficult for them to see such a shameful thing become of their own princess, but even more so, it is difficult for her family.

Zelda stands beside the young Prince Zora Jr as his eyes follow his older sister being led to the dungeon. She places a hand on his shoulder in sympathy. She knows very well the pain he must feel in witnessing his sister being publicly shamed like this.

After all; she is watching it happen to her own 'sister' as well.

As Ruto is taken out of sight, King Roark turns to a shamed King Zora and addresses him sternly; "De Bon... I will speak with you alone. Come to my office at once. _As soon as I've gotten some pants on..."

Meanwhile, a man garbed in black attire observes silently and attentively from among the crowds.

Slipping out of sight, he reverts to his true form -that of a black-and-red Ache bearing a golden emblem upon his forehead- and quietly flies ahead to the window of the king's office...

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Looks like Ruto pushed it too far...and now _someone_ intends to eavesdrop on the kings' meeting. Things are about to get more interesting...**


	26. 3-10 The Coronation

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 3: Tale of Two Princesses_

 **Chapter 10** **  
** _The Coronation_

King Zora De Bon is carried on his throne to the office of King Roark Flavius Hyrule, where the said Hylian king awaits him. The twelve Zora men transporting his throne are dismissed so the two kings can speak in private.

King Roark bears a stern countenance whereas King Zora looks to the floor with shame. Their conversation goes as follows;

King Roark: "De Bon... You know I hate to do this to your own daughter, but you understand why it must be done."

King Zora: "Yes..."

Roark: "I have been patient with her up until now, but she has gone much too far this time. We even just had to cancel the rest of the tournament due to the number of participants she has left too weak to continue! I cannot allow her unprincipled behavior to go on in this kingdom any longer. That is why you must never bring her here again. This is the very last she must ever be allowed outside of Zora's Domain. Is that clear?"

Zora: "I am greatly sorry for her behaviour. I truly am. But I promise you; this _will_ be corrected. I cannot allow this any more than_"

Roark: _[interrupting sternly]_ "You have promised me this since she was but a child, and things have yet to improve!"

Zora: "..."

Roark: "Now listen carefully; you know very well the situation Hyrule faces today. The Gerudo cannot be trusted, the Gorons no longer count themselves among our allies, and I fear that it may not be long before both tribes are soon regarded as our enemies... Now, I do not need yet another tribe turning against me. But I am certain that is _precisely_ what will happen if that daughter of yours should receive the throne of Zora's Domain."

Zora: "You need not worry yourself over that. I have already made my decision to make my son my heir."

Roark: "Good. But does _she_ know yet of this..?"

Zora: "I have told her that she may be _considered_ as the heir if she proves herself to be a trustworthy enough candidate to rule, and I have equally treated both of my children to training for a future as potential rulers, but I have avoided informing her of the preparations already going underway to finalize Junior as the Crown Prince."

Roark: "Then it is probably for the best that you keep it that way. Knowing her, I would not be surprised if she should choose to deliberate the death of her brother to ensure her own rule if she knew of your decision..."

Zora: "Oh gracious, no! Ruto may be...difficult, to say the least, but I am certain she would never go _that_ far!"

Roark: "I wouldn't be so sure... I know you would not want to think that of your daughter, but take it from me; if any princess should be so ruthless as to murder her own kin for the sake of rising to power, it is _her_ beyond any doubt."

Unbeknownst to the two kings, their conversation is not as private as they believe...

An Ache, colored black with red markings and bearing a golden emblem upon its forehead, hangs from the ceiling in the shadows, carefully listening in on their every word. A dastardly smirk crosses its face upon hearing these words of the Hylian king regarding the Zora princess.

The Ache slips away as unnoticed as it came in. He flies off and makes his way to a tall, bearded man in a cloak; the very same man whom Link had accidentally ran into earlier.

"Master Kazama!" says the Ache, shifting into his Acheman form to bow. "I have news to report."

"Oh, if it isn't Bloodvore..." says Kazama indignantly. "What is it this time? Another slip up, I presume..?"

"No, master. This time it is _good_ news!"

"Well, that sounds welcome. Let's hear it."

"I believe I may have scouted a potential new ally for the Devastati..." says Bloodvore with a smirk. "One with a royal heritage that could prove to be quite beneficial to our goals in the near future!"

* * *

 _*Two hours later...*_

The halls of Hyrule Castle are packed more than ever before as the ceremony reaches its culmination.

Princess Zelda is seated within view of the entire crowd as she awaits her coronation and blessing to commemorate her coming-of-age and officially title her as Crown Princess of Hyrule. Her parents; King Roark and Queen Amaranth, stand by her side.

Princess Ruto stands among the crowds, solely at Zelda's request. The Hylian princess was able to talk her father into allowing her to at least attend the coronation before her banishment from Castle Town is finalized, though King Roark still gave strict orders for the young Zora to remain shackled through the whole event and be brought straight back to the dungeon the minute the ceremony is over.

Not the most favorable circumstances, to be sure, and Ruto clearly is not pleased, but this was the best compromise Zelda could get out of her stubborn father. It is better than nothing.

The people make way as an elderly man approaches through the halls, garbed in a sacred robe and radiating a holy aura of great authority and power.

He is Rauru: Sage of Light.

He has served as the protector of the Temple of Time for a very long time and makes his ceaseless dwelling there, only ever exiting when called upon for sacred rituals and ceremonies such as this. He has not been seen outside of the temple since Princess Zelda's birth.

Sage Rauru wastes little time. He proceeds right to the celebration with a speech;

"People of Hyrule; today we are gathered to bear witness to the coming-of-age and coronation of our beloved Princess Zelda Daphne Hyrule as the future ruler of our kingdom. And as many of you know, the princesses born onto the royal family of Hyrule are said to be something extraordinary. According to legend, the goddess Hylia had once assumed human-form under the name of 'Zelda' for a time, and, if we are to believe the legends, that _Zelda_ was the ancestress of the royal family of Hyrule, whom our King Roark Flavius Hyrule is a descendant. It is because of this divinity in the royal bloodline that the princesses are said to possess sacred powers that no other mortals have, and why the name 'Zelda' has long been considered sacred that only those of the royal family are permitted to legally bear it, and it has remained an undying tradition that every firstborn female to be born into the royal family of Hyrule should be given the name..."

Ruto scoffs in the crowds as she hears this. " _This_ ridiculous story again..? I am so fed up with hearing this rubbish!" grumbles she. "When is the world ever going to wake up and realize that the whole story of the goddess becoming mortal and breeding up descendants as one is just a dumb old fairy-tale and didn't actually happen?! In fact; I doubt Hylia herself even _exists!_ Or any of the so-called ' _golden goddesses',_ for that matter!"

No one pays her any mind. She is merely hushed by the guards securing her.

Rauru continues; "...However, only sons have been born into the royal bloodline for the past five consecutive generations, and so it has been quite some time now since anyone has last borne the sacred name; our current Princess Zelda being the first since her great-great-great-great-grandmother who lived over 200 years ago. It is a great pleasure to be able to present to you the first daughter of Hylia in more than two centuries. May the sacred linage never cease!"

The whole crowd applauds.

...Or at least all but one individual does;

 _"'Daughter of Hylia',_ my fin!" Ruto scoffs again. "The royal family just likes to _say_ that in order to promote Hylian rule! Claiming their family's linage to be _'sacred'_ is just a big lie they like to feed the public to secure their rank and make sure that a more deserving race never replaces them as the primary government! Honestly! I feel like I am the only person with a mind of my own sometimes..!"

Again, no one pays her any mind.

Except the guards, who nonchalantly gag her.

After laying hands over Princess Zelda's forehead as she kneels, anointing it with sacred oils, and praying for the goddesses' blessings over her, the sage then receives the Hylian crown into his hands and holds it over her head, slowly lowering it as he finishes the ritual;

"...Now, in the name of the golden goddesses; Din, Nayru, and Farore: creators of Hyrule, and of Hylia: its protector and your presumed ancestress, I hereby crown you, Zelda Daphne Hyrule, the official heiress to the throne of Hyrule. Should any ill fate befall our King Roark and Queen Amaranth, you will be ready to rule the kingdom on your own accord as its rightful queen. May the goddesses watch over you and bless you with the power, wisdom, and courage to lead Hyrule to a brighter future when your time of reign comes! You may rise."

The ritual complete, Princess Zelda rises to her feet. A new crown now rests atop her head. The audience applauds her as the King and Queen stand by her side.

His work now complete, Sage Rauru soon takes his leave. He cannot leave his place in the temple unattended for too long.

As the sage heads back out through the halls, the green-cloaked man who brought in the donation of paintings earlier watches attentively from afar. He places a hand on his forehead in concentration and quietly delivers the following message to his unseen comrades via telepathy;

" _The Sage of Light is returning now to the temple. The door will be open in a matter of minutes... Be ready!"_

Nearby, a blue-cloaked man does likewise; contacting others with the following telepathic message;

" _Master Kazama will be executing the plan shortly. Now is the time for all those stationed outside the city to make their way to the gates... Wait for the signal before making entry..."_

One last cloaked man, garbed in red, continues to quietly observe the royal families from afar. His eyes shift between King Roark and the shackled Zora princess.

King Roark, with eyes full of contempt, looks scornfully towards Princess Ruto. Although the sight of her in chains does bring him a sense of satisfaction, he remains eager to be rid of her presence before she finds a way to bring about any further disgrace or humiliation to him in her brief moment of partial freedom.

The order is given for Ruto to be returned quietly to the dungeon now that the ceremony she had been permitted to attend is complete.

Princess Zelda, kept from speaking to her childhood friend personally, attempts to wave to Ruto as the latter is taken away, straining to see her off with a smile.

But she is coldly ignored. Ruto still refuses to acknowledge the Hylian princess. Zelda is left feeling all the more inwardly hurt, although she is unable to allow her pain to show at this moment when all of Hyrule is supposed to be celebrating over her.

Although majority of the crowds pay no notice to the Zora princess's leave, the red-cloaked man watches ever observantly as she is led away. Like the two other cloaked men before him, he communicates to another unseen ally with the following telepathic message of his own;

" _Bloodvore; the Zora princess is being led back down to the dungeon as we speak. If you believe she will be of use to our goals, then now is the time to act. Remember the plan, and be sure to do away with her if she does not accept the proposition..."_

Hanging hidden in the shadows, the black-and-red Ache lord hears the message. In the blink of an eye, he swoops in between two Zoras tasked with guarding their royal family's possessions and swiftly snatches the confiscated Rod of Jabuni while their backs are turned.

The Zoran guards oblivious, he vanishes undetected through a portal of flame and shadow, leaving no trace behind him.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! In this chapter, we have a cameo from Rauru, and unlike characters such as Ruto, Mamamu Yan, or the Composer brothers, this is not merely a new incarnation of him; he's the very same Rauru from _Ocarina of Time._ Anyway, now the villains are about to make their move...and they suspect they may have found a new ally to join them in executing it...**


	27. 3-11 What No One Saw Coming

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 3: Tale of Two Princesses_

 **Chapter 11** **  
** _What No One Saw Coming_

Having sat through Zelda's coronation ceremony, Ruto is led back down to the dungeons by the royal guards, aggravated that nobody even bothers to treat her with the respect due to a princess.

The guards secure her chains to the wall of one of the cells. They shut the door behind them and lock it tight before heading back upstairs.

Once again, she is left completely alone.

In the dark.

With nothing but the sound of her own breathing to keep her company in this black abyss of solitary confinement.

She hangs her head in angst. Tears fall slowly down her cheeks. Although she would never admit it to anyone, she really does feel lonesome and uncomfortable in this condition. Maybe even a little bit frightened...

 _Bah! How silly! What is there to be frightened about? There is absolutely nothing else down here to feel threatened by!_

 _...Right?_

"Well, well. Isn't this a sorry sight..."

Startled, Ruto jolts to her feet at the sudden voice speaking out. The chains binding her clink as she moves.

"Wh-who's there..?!" she hisses, daring not to show fear though she is obviously overwhelmed with it.

The mysterious voice only laughs. It sounds as if it is right here in the cell with her.

She looks around frantically to see where this voice is coming from. Her heart beats rapidly in trepidation as her eyes scan the surrounding darkness for the source. "Show yourself..!"

She looks behind, carefully observing for movement...

 _Nothing._

She turns back around...

And is met face-to-face by a mysterious figure suddenly standing right in front of her!

" _Wah_..?!"

Startled, her heart skips a beat from shock. She falls backwards, landing flat on her rear.

 _*Thud!*_

 _"OW!"_

"Oh, did I startle you, Princess..? I didn't mean to..." says the mysterious man who appeared before her, a devilish smirk upon his face. "Well...actually, I _did_. But your reaction was just too amusing to pass up. I couldn't resist. So sue me."

The strange man bears the appearance of a human, but there is something very off about him... He is garbed completely in black and stands in the shadows with only the gleam of his eyes visible. They seem to pierce through the darkness like burning torches, although Ruto knows very well that human-eyes should be incapable of this...

 _Is this weirdo really even human at all?_

"Who are you?!" she angrily demands. "And what the halibut are you even doing in here..?!"

"Heh. I could ask you the same thing..." the black-garbed figure replies. "A dungeon cell seems to me like an unfitting place for a princess to occupy, no?"

"That's...none of your business, you creep!" she hisses. "And watch where you're breathing! Your breath stinks like a Dodongo's butthole!"

He calmly waves her off. "Relax, relax! I know why you're stuck down here; that old clown, King Roark, did this to you as punishment for opposing him... Oh, but silly me! Telling you to relax when you're all chained up like that! Here... Allow me to make you more comfortable..."

Much to Ruto's surprise, the mysterious man creates a sphere of energy in between his hands, which he projects towards her. It splits in two, with each half entering the respective keyholes of the shackles on her wrists.

 _*Clink!*_

The shackles unlock themselves and fall to the floor. Ruto has been freed!

"There!" smirks the man. "Is that better..?"

Ruto looks at her wrists in bewilderment. "What th_?! How did you do that?!"

"Impressed? You should be... But hey, that's not all I can do! I believe this is yours..."

 _*Whrrrrshhhh!*_

With a mere wave of his hand, he summons up from the floor a portal of some sort made of shadow and flame. From it, the Rod of Jabuni rises into reach.

Ruto's eyes widen at the sight. "My baby! Is it really you?! I missed you so much!" She immediately snatches her most prized possession into her hands...knocking him over as she does so.

 _*Thud!*_

"How did you get hold of it?!" she asks the man as she embraces her rod tightly, paying no mind to the fact that she just shoved him to the floor in her excitement. "My father had the guards confiscate it from me!"

The man pulls himself back to his feet, offended and embarrassed to have been shoved aside as he was, but tries not to show it.

"Oh, it was no trouble at all..." he answers her, trying to remain calm and gentlemanly; "Those Zoras hadn't kept a very close watch on it... _I_ , however, had watched _very_ closely as you demonstrated your exceptional skill with it during the tournament today. Quite impressive, I must admit. Although the judges may have called off the rest of the tournament without a winner after your interference had left the remaining participants unable to fight, I would most certainly say that the champion of the event was clearly _you_ in the end."

Ruto only eyes the man with great suspicion. "Okay, what do you want from me..? I know you are not just doing this out of good conduct..."

"I have seen the way you stood up to King Roark," says he; "You despise his rule over you with a burning passion, don't you..?"

"And what's it to you..?"

"Well, you're not the only one. There are many others who are just as opposed to living in subjection to his reign as you are. After all, It's not like he has even done anything to _earn_ his rank as the most powerful man in the kingdom; he was merely _born_ into that position. Your own father is a king in his own right, with many more years of experience behind him than Roark, and has even payed his dues as a mighty warrior on the battlefield during his youth to prove his worth... Yet even _he_ is forced into subjection to the Hylian king, despite being better qualified to rule himself."

Ruto cannot help but nod approvingly at his words. _He does raise a very excellent point..._

"...And it doesn't stop there," he continues; "As you, yourself, are already being eclipsed by Princess Zelda in the same way even as we speak. She is currently being hailed and celebrated upstairs right this very moment as the supposed _'daughter of Hylia'_ , whereas _you,_ the princess of the Zora, are unjustly locked down here in her dungeon as a convicted criminal, with no one up there caring to pay you even so much as a _fracture_ of the respect that they show her, even though you are just as much of a princess as she! Surely this must sicken you, no? I mean; it's just...asinine!"

"That's true, but... just where, may I ask, are you going with this..?" Ruto inquires, still as suspicious as ever.

He leans closer, looking her in the eye with a devilish smirk on his face. "What if I told you that you needn't live in subjection to those dictating Hylians any longer? What if I told you that you could be the master of your own future? What if I told you that, in just a few short moments now, you could have the entire royal family of Hyrule groveling at _YOUR_ feet as you rise with us to ultimate power?!"

"Are you telling me that's actually _possible_..?" she asks skeptically.

"It is indeed!" says he. "Not only that, but you could also use all the very power that you had just witnessed me demonstrate a moment ago! However, this opportunity is only available for a very limited time. I can only offer it to you this once, and it will require certain duties of your own if you are to partake in the infinite prizes that it will yield. Take it or leave it! Are you interested..?"

She stares quietly at this mysterious stranger, carefully pondering his every word.

She trusts him not. But what he is offering sounds equally interesting as it does suspicious. _Just what could he have in mind?_

"I'm listening..."

* * *

On the main floor of the castle, a magician performs before the gathered crowds as they feast on the banquet following Zelda's coronation as Crown Princess. The grand show he displays is unlike anything ever before seen in all of Hyrule. No one has ever seen or heard of this magician before, but his performance quickly has the entire audience mesmerized by his astounding skill.

At the peak of his performance, he addresses the crowd with a speech;  
"...And now, ladies and gentlemen, before I perform my next and greatest trick, I would like to once more thank our beloved Princess Zelda for allowing me here today to make this performance. I admit that I have long desired to perform here in the fair Hyrule Castle, but with my lowly status in Hyrulean society, I never dared to hope for such an opportunity to become a reality. It is today that my life-long dreams at last reach fulfillment, and it is all thanks to your most gracious generosity, dear Princess, for making this opportunity possible. May the goddesses of Hyrule bless your innocent heart as graciously as you have blessed Hyrule with your kindness!"

The audience gives a round of applause, both to the magician and to Princess Zelda.

"How fortunate it is that the greatest kingdom in the lands should have such a gracious princess..." the magician continues, a slight smirk upon his face; "And in return for this unimaginably splendid opportunity you have allowed me that I might make my grand debut this day, I had promised myself that I would give a performance so splendid that it will ensure this glorious birthday of yours shall be remembered for all of eternity in Hyrule's history, and I am confident that this next trick shall do exactly that... And now for the moment we have all been waiting for; the grand-finale and climax of my performance! I call this final trick... _'WHAT NO ONE SAW COMING'!"_

The magician holds up his scepter and begins to chant some magic words. Three other men in cloaks -colored green, red, and blue, respectively- hold up enchanted staffs of their own and begin to do the same from within the audience, chanting eerily alongside him in unison;

" _Efil a flesruoy teg ot deen yllaer dna sdnah ruoy no emit hcum oot evah ylsuoires uoy taht wohs ot seog tsuj ylbaborp ton ro ti dniheb gninaem neddih yna sah ti fi ees ot tsuj sdrawkcab esnesnon siht_ _daer ot emit eht gnikat won era uoy taht tcaf eht..!"_

As the four complete this mysterious chant, a dark shadow seems to fill the castle, bringing about an uneasy chill in the air with it.

This seems to be just a part of the magic show, and a very impressive one at that.

But somehow...

It feels as if something is wrong.

 _Very_ wrong.

The magician's previous tricks had all brought nothing but excitement to the people viewing them, but this one seems to be bringing about an atmosphere of dread.

The audience falls silent, hoping that this uneasy feeling in the air will vanish in an instant and burst into yet another moment of joyful excitement once again as this trick reaches completion.

But what happens is not so joyful at all.

The many new paintings that had been donated to Hyrule Castle that day begin to resonate in response to the shadow that fills the halls...

And the countess monsters depicted in them...spring to life!

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! By the way; are you all aware of the reoccurring Easter egg used in Zelda gamed where a character says some sort of meaningless chant, but when read backwards, it holds a hidden message? Madam Fanadi (the fortune teller from _Twilight Princess_ ) is one such example of this, as is a Lorulean shopkeeper in _A Link Between Worlds._ Why am I mentioning this..? Oh, no reason... I mean; there's _probably_ no reason... Maybe... _*cough cough*_**


	28. 3-12 The Wizard Kazama

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 3: Tale of Two Princesses_

 **Chapter 12** **  
** _The Wizard Kazama_

Monsters all around, screams of panic break out. The twisted magician smirks contently to himself at the havoc he has unleashed. He stands overlooking the ongoing mayhem from across where the royal family of Hyrule is seated.

"What is the meaning of this?!" demands King Roark. "Just who are you really, magician..?!"

"Why, I am honored that you should ask, Your Highness!" says the magician mockingly. "Though I suppose it is only natural that you should want to hear my name... After all; what king _wouldn't_ want to know who his replacement is about to be..?!"

With a confidant smirk on his face, the magician becomes surrounded in a puff of smoke.

 _*Poof!*_

When it clears, his true identity is plainly revealed. His appearance does not look natural.

His skin is a pale gray; his eyes a burning yellow; his hair and beard are black-and-white; and a magical topaz is embedded on his forehead. He is garbed in a long robe overhanging his feet with its length as he levitates above the ground. The robe is black-and-purple in color, with gold trim and intricate patterns, while the inside of his cape bears all the vivid colors of the rainbow. He wears golden gauntlets connected to the ends of his long sleeves, as well as a golden diadem upon his head and a thick buckler around his waist, also made of gold.

"Master wizard Kazama at your service!" he replies with a dastardly smirk.

Impa, the Sheikah warrior, leaps forth as if from nowhere. She lands between the wizard and the royal family with her naginata in hand. "Kazama?!" she exclaims with disbelief. "The nefarious sorcerer who defiled sacred temples and wreaked havoc years ago?!"

"In the flesh!" taunts he.

Impa wastes not a second. She immediately lunges at him with her weapon.

But a sudden blast of fire cuts her off, prompting a scream from Princess Zelda.

 _*Fwoom!*_

"Impa..!"

Guards rush in to attack the wizard, but are thwarted likewise by the sudden emergence of thorny vines and an indoor blizzard intercepting their path.

 _*Crash!*_

 _*Whoosh!*_

"Allow me to introduce my most trusted henchmen..." says Kazama, pointing out the three cloaked men responsible for the elemental spells; "Every magician needs an assistant... But why settle for one when I can have _three?!"_

The three are engulfed in a puff of smoke as they likewise transfigure, revealing themselves to be Wizzrobes: sorcery-wielding monsters born of dark-magic.

And these three are no ordinary Wizzrobes. They are high-ranking Arch Wizzrobes that serve Kazama as his most elite minions. Each wears a different colored cloak and a golden diadem upon their heads ornamented with a gem. They are as follow;

 _Arborald: Arch Wizzrobe of Forest.  
He is garbed in green and wears a large, round emerald on his golden diadem. Moss grows in his beard. He holds a magic staff made from enchanted wood that wields the power of wind and control over all plant life._

 _Rubyrn: Arch Wizzrobe of Flame.  
He dons a red cloak and has a pentagon-shaped ruby on his diadem. His beard burns aflame, as does the magic rod in his hand that blazes like a torch and wields the scorching power of fire._

 _Saphridge: Arch Wizzrobe of Ice.  
He is garbed in blue and dons a frosty beard. The diadem on his head bears three smaller sapphires rather than one large gem like his two comrades'. The crystalline rod in his hand holds the powers of water and ice._

"Arborald! Rubyrn! Saphridge!" Kazama commands; "See to it that no one intervenes with my fun!"

The three station themselves around their master and combine their elemental powers, creating a dangerous barrier encircling the area to cut off any soldier who would dare attempt to get close enough to attack. Kazama, Impa, and the royal family are the only ones within the magical barricade as monsters terrorize the crowds outside of it.

King Roark draws his sword. "So those paintings donated were all a trick to sneak an army in my castle?! You won't get away with this, wizard! I'll cut you down myself!"

"No need to get yourself so worked up, your highness..." mocks Kazama. "Why don't you just have a seat?"

A mighty force of power gusts forth from the master wizard like the winds of a tornado. It lifts the king's throne from its place and sends it crashing upon him, much to the horror of his wife and daughter who are forced to watch.

 _*Wham!*_

Princess Zelda and Queen Amaranth scream in horror as King Roark is pinned to the floor. He struggles to free himself, but the throne on top of him is far too heavy to move himself.

Queen Amaranth runs to her husband's side with panicked worry. She struggles desperately and arduously to try and lift the toppled throne enough to free him, but it proves to be quite heavy.

Princess Zelda attempts to follow and help her parents, but she is cut off by a surrounding wall of dark magic to hold her in place.

Impa bursts free from the flames engulfing her. She immediately lunges at Kazama with her naginata once again.

But he vanishes before the blow can make contact.

 _*Poof!*_

"Impa!" screams Zelda. "Behind you..!"

Impa reacts instantly. She swings around to strike the wizard who has reappeared behind her.

 _*Swipe!*_

Only for him to evade again in the same manner as before.

Again and again, she tries to land a blow, but he evades every time. He is merely toying with her.

"This shouldn't be possible!" she exclaims between attacks. "I thought you were executed over a _decade_ ago! I witnessed your death with my own eyes!"

"Perhaps you shouldn't be so trusting of your eyes..." Kazama taunts while evading effortlessly. "Much like how your Princess Zelda shouldn't have been so trusting about allowing unknown guests into Hyrule Castle!"

Zelda's heart sinks at these words. She had never imagined opening the castle's doors to the public could possibly hold such consequences. But then again, how could _anyone_ have predicted anything like this?

Impa is suddenly caught by Kazama's levitation powers. She is lifted into the air and thrown scrapping across the floor.

 _*Slam!*_

"Indeed, it truly is fortunate that the greatest kingdom in the land should have such a gracious princess..." Kazama continues to taunt; "Fortunate for the Devastati, that is!"

Impa regains her feet and attempt to trust yet another blow at Kazama.

But he evades once again while continuing to taunt;

"Just think... If it wasn't for Princess Zelda's generosity, I wouldn't have been granted this opportunity to be here in Hyrule Castle today..."

 _If he would only hold still for but one moment..!_

She projects a magic attack at him, but again, he evades with ease and continues taunting with utmost arrogance;

"...I wouldn't have been granted this opportunity to make my returning-debut in Hyrule's history as a master of the Devastati..."

The Sheikah warrior attempts once more to land an attack against the wicked wizard, but he evades yet again by vanishing. This time reappearing with three illusory duplicates of himself.

 _As if this was not complicated enough already..._

"...All your people would have been safe and sound... And none of your swordsmen would be throwing their lives away in battle at this moment!"

Using her agility, Impa rapidly eliminates all three of Kazama's duplicates.

 _*Slice! Slice! Slice!*_

...Only to take a magic-attack to the back from the real one.

 _*Ka-ZAM!*_

A painful shock surges through her body as she is sent flying forward, crying aloud in agony. " _AAAURRGH_..!"

 _*Crash!*_

"Impa! No..!" screams Zelda as her friend is sent crashing hard into a table.

Impa's whole body aches with pain. She struggles to get back to her feet.

Kazama merely continues to taunt the princess arrogantly, not even showing any real concern over his ongoing battle against Impa; "Yes, Princess, I indeed owe everything to you today! If not for you, _none_ of this would be happening right now! Even as the centuries pass, people will still be telling the tale of how your generosity this day will have forever changed Hyrule! Yes, they will be telling the tale of... ' _The Legend of Zelda: the naive princess whose gracious folly had brought about the fall of Hyrule...and the rise of the Devastati'!_ "

Princess Zelda stands helplessly backed against the wall. Tears roll down her cheeks as she beholds in torment the havoc Kazama wreaks upon the castle before her weeping eyes.

The people panic and scatter as the guards risk their lives to hold off the attacking monsters; her father lies pinned down by his own throne as her mother struggles in vain to free him; Impa is taking a severe beating trying to protect her...

And here I stand trembling; being able to do nothing about any of it but to sit and watch as a helpless damsel-in-distress while everyone else is forced to suffer disaster because of her. This is all too much to bear.

She covers her eyes to weep. She cannot stand to watch anymore. She wants only for her life to be taken from her now so she will no longer have to witness this catastrophe that her own ceremony has brought upon her people.

"Well, look who decided to join us!" says Kazama suddenly. "What a pleasure that Princess Zelda should get to see what has become of her old ally before she dies!"

 _Wait_ What..?_

Zelda raises her eyes from her hands to see what he is talking about. Mixed emotions of hope and doubt, comfort and worry, relief and panic, fill her as she looks in awe at the figure that has suddenly appeared;

"Ruto..?!"

Inexplicably freed from her confinement and having arrived as if from nowhere, the Zora princess stands motionlessly between Zelda and the wizard with her back towards the former. She bears no weapon in hand, but still faces Kazama with a relaxed, confident posture.

"Ruto!" exclaims Zelda with hope. "I don't know how you got here, but thank Hylia you made it! But there's no time for words; you need to help Impa! She can't defeat this wizard on her own! Be careful! He's dangerous..!"

Impa groggily gets back to her feet. She uses her naginata to lean on as she pulls herself off the ground and addresses Ruto;"I didn't expect you to show up... But it's time for you to put that fighting-spirit of yours to good use instead of causing trouble. Be on guard! This wizard is a worthy opponent..!"

Regathering herself, Impa leaps forward into battle again, expecting Ruto join her in the fight against Kazama.

Strangely, Ruto is unresponsive. She continues to stand in place without a word.

Zelda is confused. "Um... Ruto..? Did you hear that..?"

"What are you waiting for..?!" Impa shouts. "Snap out of it! Where is your weapon..?!"

Still no response...

Kazama smirks with confidence. "Perhaps you shouldn't be so certain...that she is here to help you..."

Zelda grows worried. "Ruto? Are you okay..? Ruto..? Please, answer me..!"

Suddenly, Ruto begins to generate a sphere of black and red energy between her palms. _Where did she learn to do THAT?_

She projects the sphere forward...

Straight at Impa!

 _*Bzzap!"_

Impa cries out in pain. Her naginata is split in two as she is sent flying to the wall. She passes out from the shock of the blow.

"Ruto!" gasps a bewildered Zelda. "What are you doing?! What's gotten into you..?!"

The Zora slowly turns around to face the Hylian...

Causing Zelda to freeze in horror at the sight of Ruto's eyes.

Her once-violet eyes now burn like pale fire and seem to lack pupils. A hiss-like breath passes through a dastardly smile as the Zora princess stares into the Hylian with a menacing look of sheer bloodlust before finally speaking;

"Hello... _'goddess-blood'.._!"

* * *

End of Episode 3: _Tale of Two Princesses_ ** _  
_**To be continued in Episode 4:  
 ** _Rise of the Devastati_**

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! And so ends the 3rd episode... With a cliffhanger! LOL Anyhow, Link will be returning now in the next episode, which is easily the most action-packed one. Expect a lot of battles...because they're coming right up!**

 **Now for those of you who have read the original edition: the next chapter will be pretty much unchanged except for a small intro at the beginning (as all episodes now open with), but after that, all following chapters will be significantly changed. Anyway, the three Arch Wizzrobes have names this time. Can you figure out their roots without me pointing it out?**


	29. 4-1 Peer Pressure

~SilentN

 **The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit** _  
_ _Episode 4: Rise of the Devastati_

 _Link has only ever been known as a weakling to his peers, but when an evil wizard long thought deceased unleashes an army of monsters upon Hyrule Castle, he will have to find the courage to face his fears and lend every bit of the little strength he has to assist in fighting back against this evil invasion. But will it be enough to suffice?_

* * *

 **Chapter 1** **  
** _Peer Pressure_

A note from Professor Pacu's research on the essence of life-force:

 _It is no secret that force-energy is vital to our world. It is the source of all magic and is believed to be the very blessing of the goddesses themselves coursing through the land and its inhabitants. And although it comes in many forms, the most vitally important is what is known to us as 'life-force'._ _As its name implies, life-force is the very essence of all life in this world. All living things -including monsters- possess it._

 _Warriors know that the most important thing to learn before training for battle is how to properly utilize their own life-force to protect themselves in combat. With little training, it is fully possible to use one's own life-force as an all-natural, invisible 'armour'_ _that renders a warrior invulnerable, enabling him to survive virtually unharmed from a blow that should have been fatal._

 _Normally, just a single blow from a spear, sword, or an arrow would be enough to penetrate one's flesh and mortally wound or kill him, but having a strong life-force counters this and often allows the recipient of the blow to endure it unscathed; only losing some of his life-force instead of a limb._ _However, with each blow taken, some life-force depletes, and if it runs too low, it can no longer be of any protection._

 _That is why it is important for a warrior to always try to keep his life-force strong, and so many types of potions exist to help replenish lost life-force in seconds. Although many do find the taste to be undesirable, consuming such a potion enables a recently-wounded soldier to recover his lost strength and return to combat in almost an instant. Battle stations always carry plenty in stock to treat their soldiers._

 _Just take care not to consume too many at once due to the toxins they contain. A soldier, however strong his life-force may be, is still in no condition to fight if he is not sober..._

* * *

"I told you countless times already, sir..." says Link to a 35-year-old man running one of the carnival-games outside Hyrule Castle. "364 rupees per play is _way_ too much to be charging your customers for a simple game of balloon-popping. Please change your price to something more affordable..."

The man is a strange one; he barely stands four feet tall (if even that), dresses in a green bodysuit, and has an unusual tendency to refer to himself in third person.

"But Tingle changed it _eleven times_ already!" he protests to Link. "Don't blame Tingle if the price-number he pulls from the hat is such a big one!"

"Wait..." says Link. "You mean your idea of setting a price...is to just pull a random number from a hat and charge whatever you get..?"

"Of course!" says Tingle. "Doesn't everybody?"

"Um, I _really_ don't think so..." says Link awkwardly. "And I think 10 rupees would be a fitting price for your business..."

"Oh, okay," says Tingle...as he reaches into a hat and pulls out a number. "Hmm... You must be mistaken, because the hat says I should be charging 471 rupees... Or should Tingle pull yet another number?"

Link stands in perplexed silence before thinking to reply; "...Uh, just...forget the hat and set your price to 10 rupees."

"If you insist..." says Tingle.

He then proceeds to do an odd dance.

" _Tingle, Tingle! Kooloo-Limpah!"_ he shouts while throwing confetti into the air. "There! From now on, Tingle's price is 10 rupees! You must be so proud of Tingle right now!"

Link stands baffled at this odd behavior, unsure what that weird dance would have to do with setting the price.

 _This Tingle fellow is no doubt a strange man..._

The young recruit hastily turns to leave. "...That'll be all, then."

Being the socially-awkward sort, Link always finds it difficult enough as it is to have to talk to people whom he does not know like this, but when it is someone as odd as this Tingle fellow, that just makes it all the more awkward.

Putting the uncomfortable confrontation behind him once again, Link looks up to the castle with an exasperated sigh. It has been quite a busy day.

The sun is slowly setting over the horizon, vividly coloring the eastern sky a scenic red over Hyrule Castle. The outer grounds had been packed for most of the day as the outdoor carnival entertained the crowds, but things have quieted down now that most people have headed indoors to witness Princess Zelda's coronation within the castle, as well as to stay for the following magic-show.

Yet despite the dwindling crowds, Link still finds himself having to answer people's problems one after another. The way they keep coming to him with their complaints, one would think he is the _only_ recruit on duty!

Which makes Link worry...that he just might be.

If so, it could just be that most of them have been called into the castle now that majority of the crowd is in there at the moment.

Or maybe...

Maybe Sir Pent needed more men to stand guard indoors...to compensate for the number of main guards that may have fallen while exterminating the monsters in the dungeon...

Link finds it hard to keep his eyes off the castle in anticipation. The thought of those monsters in the dungeons has not left his mind for even a single moment. He still has not heard any news regarding the matter, nor has he informed anyone else about it other than Sir Pent, and the idea that there may be grave danger in store for anyone within Hyrule Castle has been bothering him greatly.

He cannot take this. He must know what has become of his fellow recruits that they do not appear to be helping with the outdoor duties.

After searching around the castle grounds and finding not a single recruit in sight, he at last checks in a remote area behind the castle.

And there he finds them...

Slacking off on the job with emptied bottles of alcohol laying on the ground beside them.

"(Why am I not surprised..?)" Link thinks to himself at this disgraceful sight. "(I guess that would explain why everyone has been coming only to _me_ with their complaints; I really _am_ the one doing all the work out here while they all sneak in some extra break-time and get themselves intoxicated...even though they are _under oath_ to remain sober!)"

* * *

Bruce, Sven, Olaf, Otis, Chuck, and Bart sit around half-drunk while they are _supposed_ to be patrolling the castle's grounds like Link is. They appear to be exchanging scary stories;

"If you guys thought Otis' story was scary, just wait'll you hear mine!" says Bruce. "What makes _this_ story so scary is that it _really_ happened!"

"Don't tell me..." says Chuck. "It's the one that you got chased by an angry cucco after you kicked it, isn't it?"

"Uh, N-no!" says Bruce. "This is a different story! ...And I'm tellin' ya; that chicken was _really_ angry! It was scary! Even _you_ would've been scared of it!"

"Uh-huh. _Sure_ ," says Chuck, unconvinced. "I still think the real _'chicken'_ in that story was _you_..."

Bart flaps his arms like chicken wings in mockery. " _Bawk, bawk, bawwwwk!"_

"Well, anyhow," says Bruce, trying to brush their words aside. "Wait'll ya hear _this_ story; I guarantee you that you'll pee yourself even worse than Olaf did that time when Volker had released that squirrel down the back of his pants!"

"Oh, you had to bring _that_ up!" says Olaf, his face reddening.

"Now here's the story..." begins Bruce as he recalls the tale, speaking slowly to make it sound as dramatic as possible;

"There was this dude out hunting in the woods... He had been out hunting several times before, but this was his first time hunting alone. Which wasn't like it was scary for him or nothing, since he was a pretty strong and cool guy.

"He hadn't caught nothin'; the stinkin' animals just wouldn't come outta hidin', so he went further into the woods to find them... His dad always told him not to go too far off the trails, but he knew what he was doing, and since his dad wasn't there to chew him out for it, he went ahead and did it anyway.

"But since he wasn't used to being that far out into the woods, he had a hard time finding his way back. I swear there musta been some kind of curse on that part of the forest or something...

"Anyhow, it was getting dark, and he caught nothin', but couldn't find his way back because of that stinkin' curse. He eventually came to an old, abandoned cottage, where he decided to spend the night. But as he was lookin' around... it happened...

"He heard footsteps... Someone...or some _thing..._ was coming into the cottage! He went and hid in the other room, but the creepy ol' hag that lived there came home...and was walking straight into the room he was hidin' in! I hid in the closet, when_"

"Wait a second!" interrupts Chuck. " _You_ hid in the closet?! You're saying that _you're_ the guy who was out hunting..?!"

"Uh...uh... N-no!" says Bruce, turning red in the face. "I didn't say ' _I'_! You misheard me! It was just some dude out in the woods! I don't even know the guy!"

"You did too say ' _I'_!" protests Bart.

"Yeah!" says Otis. "I heard it myself!"

"Well, I didn't mean to!" says Bruce. "It wasn't me! I _never_ get lost in the woods! Just listen to the story about some guy who _did_ get lost in the woods!"

Chuck is unconvinced. "Are you _sure_ it wasn't you and you're not just keeping it anonymous because it's an embarrassing story?"

"A-anyhow..." continues Bruce, pretending not to hear him. " _The hunter_ was hiding in the closet. He heard the ol' hag come in and start preparing some water... Obviously, she was planning on cooking and eating somebody! The hunter -who was totally not me- stood hidin' quietly, hoping she wouldn't find him... But then...it happened; she came to the closet... and opened up the door..."

Bruce's voice begins to grow more terrified as he continues;

"The creepy old hag was completely _naked!_ She stood at the closet door right before my_ I mean; _the hunter's_ eyes...totally in the nude! She was covered in freaky wrinkles and, like, two inches thick of _armpit-hair_! The hunter screamed when he saw her coming for him, and, thinking fast, he quickly shoved her to the floor before running at full speed outta the cottage without ever lookin' back! Eventually his dad came and found him running around in the woods and brought him home, but he didn't believe him when he told him that the woods were cursed or that he had just ran into some psycho-hag. But the guy knew never to go hunting in those woods alone again!"

The others do not seem too convinced by Bruce's story.

Except for Sven, who is completely intoxicated.

"Whoa..." he says with a hiccup. "That's one scary hag..!"

"Hey!" says Otis. "That sounds a _lot_ like a story our grandma told us of coming home late one evening and finding some guy in her house..."

"Yeah!" agrees Olaf. "She said that she had just gotten home and was about to start a bath, and so she went to the closet to get a towel...and someone was in there!"

"And then she said he pushed her down and ran out the door!" adds Otis.

"...Screaming like a little girl with her clothes on fire!" finishes Olaf.

Bruces face turns redder than a tomato. "Uh... Th-that's probably just a coincidence... And I don't sound like a girl..!"

* * *

Link shakes his head and sighs at the sight of his half-drunk colleagues. He would much rather not speak to them but he knows that he is going to have to if he is to get them back to their duties.

Gathering the little boldness he can muster, he calls out to his fellow recruits; "You guys better not be drinking what I _think_ you're drinking..."

That caught their attention. Their reddened eyes quickly turn towards him, filled with worry about having been caught. But that worry instantly vanishes to be replaced with amusement once they realize it is only Link. They see no need to fear a pipsqueak like him.

"Well, look who's here!" says Bart. "It's the _Weak Link!"_

"Have you come to spoil the fun?" says Chuck. "You better not not be planning on reporting us!"

The half-drunk recruits gather around Link, each one towering above him in height. Intimidation fills him. His timidity is telling him to just turn around now and leave this alone.

"(Come on, Link!)" he thinks to himself. "(You just fought multiple monsters at once earlier today! You can handle this! Don't back down again! Pull yourself together!)"

He takes a deep breath before speaking up once more, trying hard to conceal his nervousness and sound as authoritative as he can; "You guys _know_ you signed a code agreeing that you wouldn't drink while on duty... You're going to be in _big_ trouble when Sir Pent hears about this."

"No..." says Bart with a menacing tone to his voice. " _You're_ going to be in big trouble _if_ Sir Pent hears about this!"

"He is?" asks Bruce, confused. "How's _that_ work when _we're_ the ones drinkin'..?"

Bart looks to Bruce indignantly.

...And then hits him across the head for his stupidity.

 _*Whack!*_

"Ow! I was just askin'!" says Bruce. "You don't hafta be nasty just 'cause you don't know how to answer..!"

Bart turns back to Link with a fiendish glint in his reddened eyes. "Now listen up... What Sir Pent don't know ain't gonna hurt him."

"Yeah," says Olaf. "And as long as he doesn't know, _you_ won't have to get hurt either."

"Right," says Bart. "So as long as you don't snitch on us, no one will need to know what we've been up to..."

"But if anyone _does_ find out..." adds Otis; "Then the next thing they'll be trying to find out...is what happened to your remains!"

"Huh? Why..?" asks Sven with a drunken slur. "What happened to_ * _hiccup_ * _to his remains..?"

"So what'll it be?" says Bart, a vicious smirk upon his face. "You still think you wanna tell anyone about this?"

Link stands silent.

 _If they gang up on him, he will not stand a very good chance..._

They may be half-drunk and lacking the coordination necessary to fight with, but they are still each bigger and stronger than he, and they outnumber him six to one.

"Y'know, rookie," says Chuck. "If you promise to be a good sport and not rat on us, we might be willing to let you join the fun. You don't always have to be the Weak Link..."

"Yeah," says Otis. "Let's see how much of a man you can be... How many drinks to you guys think he can take before he tips over?"

"I'll pass..." says Link, scanning his surroundings for an emergency escape route.

 _There is none in sight. He is completely cornered..._

"Aw, you're no fun!" says Bruce.

"What a party-pooper!" mocks Olaf.

"What's the matter, _Weak Link_?" taunts Bart. "Too scared of getting caught? Looks like you really are just a big _chicken_ , ain't ya?! _Bawk, bawk, bawwwwk!_ "

"A _chicken?!_ " exclaims Sven. "Where?! Where's the chicken..?! I see no chicken..!"

"I don't drink..." says Link, standing his ground and trying hard not to show fear. "And even if I did... I already swore an oath to remain sober for duty."

"C'mon, Link!" says Otis. "Are you a man or a mouse?! _Real_ men drink!"

"Unless you're _chicken_!" says Bart. " _Bawk, bawk, bawwwwk!"_

Link finds it increasingly difficult to stand his ground as they close in around him. "Wh-what would you plan on doing if we ended up called into the castle right now..?"

"Relax, rookie!" says Chuck. "What are the odds of us actually getting called in? It's not like there's _really_ going to be any action here today!"

Suddenly the sound of a horn blowing echoes throughout the castle grounds;

 _*HOOOOOOOT!*_

It is the horn to alert all recruits of trouble within the castle...

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Sorry if this chapter was rather long. I got carried away with the humor and didn't want to cut any of it. But now the battle is on... The Devastati has attacked!**

 **We also have an explanation of how "life-force" works in this story...which is essentially my head-canon description of how the "heart meter" from Zelda games works so it can be authentically applied to the physics here. This way, just like in the games, it will be possible for a character in this story to survive a hit from a blade without being severed, as long as they still have some life-force (i.e. "hearts") left.**


	30. 4-2 Under Siege

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 4: Rise of the Devastati_

 **Chapter 2** **  
** _Under siege_

Panicked screams echo from within Hyrule Castle as the people inside try to escape the ongoing mayhem. Link and several half-drunken recruits arrive at the castle's entrance to find guards frantically try to evacuate guests from inside.

"Wh-what's going on?!" asks Bart in a terrified voice.

"We're under attack!" answers one of the guards. "Quickly! Get inside and help us defend the castle at once!"

"Wh-what?!" says a panicked Bruce. "You mean we have to _fight_?! How are we supposed to do _that_?!"

"What do you mean ' _how are we supposed to do that_ '?!" scoffs the guard. "You're swordsmen, aren't you?! This is what you've been training for!"

"Yeah, b-but..." whimpers Otis.

The guard grows impatient. "No ' _buts_ '! Get in there and help evacuate the citizens right this instant or_! * _sniff* __ Wait..." He pauses after catching a distinct scent from the group of green-garbed recruits. He stops briefly to eye them up and down.

Their eyes and faces are red. The stench of alcohol is evident on their breath. He immediately realizes what they have been up to and grows enraged;

"Have you numskulls been _drinking.._?!"

All the recruits nervously look around to one another. They realize they are about to pay the consequences of their actions.

"Um, uh... Well..." stammers Bart.

"J-just a little..!" lies Olaf.

"Maybe..." says Chuck.

" _He_ made us do it..!" Otis blames, pointing towards Bart.

The vexed guard palms his face in exasperation. "Oh, for crying out loud! You kids had _one_ job! And you_! _Arrgh!_ Now's not the time for this! Look, we'll save your punishment for later, but for now, just do your duty! None of you lot are in any condition to fight right now, but maybe you can at _least_ look after everyone who comes out of the castle and make sure they get to safety. So stay off the battlefield and follow the crowd...but if you _do_ run into any monsters, you're still going to have to fight them with your lives to protect the citizens whether you are sober for it or not! Is that clear?!"

"Yes, sir!" reply the cowering recruits.

"Then get going and don't expect mercy when this is over! ...If you're lucky enough to even _live_ through this!"

The half-drunken recruits hurry along, trying not to stumble too much in their uncoordinated condition.

Link, being the only sober one, draws his blade and begins to head into the castle.

The guard stops him; "Hold it! Where do you think _you're_ going?! I just ordered you all to evacuate the outer grounds!"

"But...my grandmother is in there somewhere..!" says Link.

"Well, I'm afraid that if you've been drinking, then there's no way you're in fighting condition right now!" replies the guard. "Go evacuate the citizens from the castle grounds with your comrades!"

"I wasn't drinking with the others," Link informs. "Believe me; I'm perfectly sober..."

The guard quickly changes his attitude toward Link upon hearing this. He takes a quick look over the smallest recruit to confirm his sobriety;

"Oh? Alright then, in that case... carry on and evacuate as many as you can from there!"

Link nods and rushes into the castle, hoping dearly that his grandmother is still alive. Once inside, he finds it completely swarming with monsters...

Monsters far more numerous and powerful than those he had encountered in the dungeon, and each bearing that same strange emblem somewhere on their bodies as what the Achemen did on their foreheads.

Among this army of monsters is a gigantic arachnid wreaking havoc as it knocks soldiers around like they are mere dust while firing laser-like beams from its large eye.

It is a Gohma; a single-eyed, all-devouring parasite that stands over ten feet tall and is protected by an exoskeleton as powerful as metal armor.

 _Now how in the world did they manage to sneak THAT thing in here?! A monster that size could not have even fit through the door!_

But now is no time to be pondering questions; there is a battle on hand!

Citizens panic as the guards try to get them outside to safety while the monsters storm the place.

Link draws his bow and hops onto a table for better height and range. He may not be the best at swordsmanship, but his archery may be able to help cover the fleeing citizens by shooting down their pursuers from afar. He directs his aim mainly towards the foes that seem to be giving his fellow soldiers the most trouble in order to provide an opening for his allies to strike back.

He shoots.

Shoots at every monster he can land a shot against;

 _*Twang! Twang! Twang! Twang!*_

The guards are trying hard to clear an opening for the citizens to escape out the door, but the path is blocked of by the giant Gohma running rampant through the center room, not allowing anyone to get close enough to pass.

It continues to effortlessly knock soldiers aside as they attempt to surround it. It then fires another beam from its eye to strike down more soldiers from afar after having already thrown all surrounding ones against the wall with a bat of its mighty arms.

 _*BZZAM!*_

One soldier attempts to parry the blast back to the Gohma using his shield.

It fails drastically. The shield is completely obliterated by the blow, and the soldier is sent flying hard into the wall.

 _*Crash!*_

A Wolfos mauls the man while he is down. It pins him to the ground and attempts to sink its sharp teeth into his throat. The wounded soldier tries his hardest to wrestle the beast's jaws away from him using the very little strength he has left.

Link takes aim...

 _*Thwack!*_

The Wolfos takes an arrow to the head just before it could land the killing blow. Leaping from the table he stands upon, Link draws his blade and rushes in to finish the lupine fiend while it is down.

 _*Slash!*_

Its carcass falls to the floor and begins to wither away into black embers. Link offers a hand to the wounded soldier to help him up. "Are you alright..?"

"I... I don't know..." replies the wounded soldier. "My body feels limp... I'm not sure I can walk..."

"You've fought all you can..." Link reassures, pulling him to his feet. "Let's get you outdoors with the rest of the citizens and away from the battle..."

"You may be right..." says the wounded soldier reluctantly, allowing Link to help him walk. "Thank you, boy... You saved my life...for the moment, at least..."

The soldier weighs a lot more than Link, making him difficult for the young recruit to support. Nonetheless, Link pushes on and tries to get him at least near the door while keeping a distance from the ongoing fight, although this proves to be quite the difficult task.

Despite not being one to talk most of the time, there is something Link must know. He decides to inquire about it from this soldier as long as he has already spoken this much to him and is in the middle of walking him to safety;

"I know this is probably a bad time to ask, but where did all these monsters come from..?!"

"Some wizard cast a spell..." the soldier answers weakly; "And they all emerged from the new paintings..!"

 _The paintings..?_

Link looks about at the frames on the walls. Indeed, the many paintings that once depicted several monsters are now blank... and the monsters that were once on the paintings now run rampant in the castle.

 _So that's why so many paintings were donated in one day; those were REAL monsters in them somehow! It was all a trick to sneak in an army and raid the castle!_

The two hardly make it more than ten feet before the rampaging Gohma sends a table flying their way. Link just narrowly manages to pull the wounded soldier and himself out of harm's way as the table crashes down beside them.

 _*Crash!*_

"It's no use..!" laments the soldier. "It's got us cornered..! Run, boy..!"

The giant Gohma stomps its way closer, shaking the ground with every step.

 _*Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!*_

Its large eye begins to heat up, preparing another blast to fire at anyone unfortunate enough to be caught within its line of sight.

...And Link and the wounded soldier stand directly within that line.

Link knows already that this attack is far too powerful to be parried with a shield. This other solder had a much better shield than he does, yet it was obliterated in a single hit just now. The best option now would be to evade.

But to do so...Link would have to abandon his fellow soldier to die as he saves only himself...

He cannot bear to do such a thing. Instead, he resorts to the more dangerous option;

With the Gohma's eye aimed directly towards him and about to fire a blast that will surely end his life if it executes, Link daringly stands in place between the incoming deathblow and the wounded soldier, hastily readying an arrow and aiming in turn for the eye.

 _This had better work..._

 _*Twang!*_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I should warn you; this entire episode consists of one taunting cliffhanger after another! Prepare yourselves for torture! Mwahahaha! Am I evil or what?**

* * *

"Weegee" had asked in a review if this story's take on Hyrule is based on any particular version or not. Well, I guess I'd say it's more of a combination of them all in some way. For example; the Lynel's description used is based on their design in _Breath of the Wild,_ but the Hynox (which will be appearing sometime later on) will be described having its traditional design rather than the pig-like one from BotW. My DeviantArt upload of this fanfic is more visual than this one, since I can include images there.

As for the geography; I won't be basing it on any particular map of Hyrule either, since I plan to include locations from several different Zelda games, such as Talus Cave from _Four Swords,_ the Wind Ruins from _The Minish Cap,_ AND new places from BotW, even though those locations have never appeared within the same games as one another. So it's pretty diverse.


	31. 4-3 Devastation

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 4: Rise of the Devastati_

 **Chapter 3** **  
** _Devastation_

An earsplitting cry of agony echoes throughout the entire Hyrule Castle, followed by a loud thud that shakes the floor.

 _*THUD!*_

The colossal Gohma, which had been wreaking immeasurable havoc and preventing anyone from escaping, lies stunned upon the floor with an arrow lodged painfully into the center of its giant eye. A lone recruit, garbed in green, stands his ground between a wounded soldier and the fell beast with his bow in hand.

"It's down!" calls out one of the soldiers as the Gohma collapses from the blow. "Quickly, men! Finish it before it recovers!"

Sweat pours down Link's head as he catches his breath. Had his arrow been but a split second slower, that Gohma's attack would have surely killed him.

The other soldiers are able to take advantage of the opening and hastily finish the beast with their numbers while it is still stunned from the blow. Gohma is quickly buried in soldiers who mercilessly dig swords and spears into its body at once before it has the chance to recover from its daze. Link cannot help but feel at least a little sorry for it, but sparing it is not an option.

With Gohma taken down, all of the guests on the ground floor are able to get moving again. The guards are now able lead them to the exit with little interference. Even the wounded soldier is given immediate assistance in getting out the door with the rest of the citizens now that nothing too powerful is blocking the path any longer.

But the battle is far from over.

With so many of the guests on the ground floor escaping fairly safely, it seems this area is pretty well covered for now. Some of the soldiers begin to make their way up the stairs to fight back against the monsters on the floors above and clear a way for the guests up there to evacuate. Link decides to follow.

He looks to the crowds of fleeing guests as I pass them, hoping to see his grandmother among them.

But she is nowhere to be seen here. _She might still be in danger..._

Arriving on the second floor, Link soon notices that many of the guards up here are the elite recruits garbed in red. They are surprisingly far more numerous than he would have expected, but that is most certainly a welcome surprise right now.

Strangely, the elite recruits seem to be evacuating people towards the rooftops instead of out the main door.

 _But wouldn't the rooftops_ _be a dead-end..? Perhaps they have a plan for the citizens to escape by air somehow?_

He knows not what they might have in mind, but if they are elite recruits, trusted as much as the main guards, then they obviously must know what they are doing. It is not his place to question them.

Nor does he even have the time to question them.

In plain view on the floor below, an evil wizard stands before the royal family. Princess Zelda is encircled in a ring of dark-magic to keep her in place while King Roark lies pinned down by the weight of his own throne lying on top of him as Queen Amaranth struggles hard to free him. A lone Sheikah woman tries desperately to defend the royal family but she is clearly no match for the wizard on her own, and three elite Wizzrobes of different colors are casting a surrounding force of elemental magic to keep at bay anyone else who would dare to intervene.

Looking closer, Link soon recognizes the wizard's face...

He looks different now, but he is unmistakably that mysterious man whom the young Hylian had accidentally bumped into earlier. Which would make perfect sense that he would be in on this attack if he was associated with the man in the green cloak who delivered the paintings that the monsters arrived in. It is intimidating for Link to realize just how close he had come to such a dangerous and powerful menace.

One other figure stands beside the royal family below, stationed between the wizard and Princess Zelda; the Zora princess whom Link had seen coming in earlier. She somehow generates a black-and-red sphere of magical energy between her palms.

She projects the attack.

Not at the wizard... but at the Sheikah woman defending the royal family! The latter is sent flying and knocked unconscious from the blow. Princess Zelda screams in confusion and panic at the sudden betrayal. "Ruto! What are you doing?! What's gotten into you..?!"

The Zora princess slowly turns to face Zelda. She addresses her mockingly in a menacing tone and with a dastardly smile; "Hello... _'goddess-blood'.._!"

The wizard laughs condescendingly. "Did you really just _assume_ your allies' loyalty to you, Princess? Yet another one of your many foolish actions! I'm afraid the true alliance of Princess De Bon...lies now with the Devastati!"

Zelda stands utterly devastated.

It was heartbreaking enough to be resented by her best friend for the past several years without understanding why, and to be coldly shunned by her no matter how hard she tried to reconnect, but none of that compares with what is happening now.

Now Ruto stands before her...

As an enemy.

 _This cannott be so..._

"Ruto..?" says Zelda, her heart heavy with grief. "Please tell me you're not with them..! I know you're upset about earlier, but surely you wouldn't take it _that_ far!"

"Don't worry, _'Daughter of Hylia'..._ " Ruto replies with a mocking snicker. "I don't intend to kill you..."

 _That...is somewhat of a relief, perhaps..?_

"...At least not immediately," she continues; "After all, where's the fun in that? Nay, the Devastati and I would rather you live a moment longer to see for yourself what your generosity has brought upon Hyrule today!"

 _Never mind. This is even worse!_

Zelda's heart is completely shattered. To hear such threats coming from her best friend whom she loved as family; to find that Ruto really despises her so much that she would join an evil cult in slaughtering countless innocents just as a way to demonstrate her hatred towards her; to think that she had somehow played a part in driving Ruto so hateful as to turn her into such a monster...

 _This cannot be happening._

"Hold it right there, traitor!" cries King Roark, still struggling to free himself from under his heavy throne. "I always knew you to be a menace, yet even I hadn't thought that you would stoop _this_ low! If you lay even one finger on my daughter, I will personally cut you down by my own hand!"

Ruto hisses demonically, but with a twisted tone of amusement. "Oh? Would the _oh-so-noble_ King Roark really intend to harm the princess of his most trusted allies..?" she taunts wickedly.

"I would have done so a long time ago if not for that fact!" Roark angrily retorts. "You have disrespected me, the high king of Hyrule and descendant of the goddess Hylia, many times, many ways; this alone is a crime punishable by death! Yet I have graciously spared you thus long in respect for your father...as well as for my own daughter, who sees you as a _'friend'..._ But now you have gone too far! I will not suffer you to disgrace me or my kingdom any longer!"

"Is that so..?" Ruto smirks. "Not that you're even in any position to be making threats..."

"I swear by the goddesses; once I get this blasted throne off of me, you are done for!" vows the king, much to Zelda's hurt and dismay.

The wizard Kazama grows amused. "Well, well! So the king of Hyrule intends to spill the blood of the princess of the Zoras himself, does he? Perhaps we could spare another moment of amusement... if my newest pet here cares to accept the challenge..?"

"With pleasure..!" Ruto hisses gleefully.

"in that case..." smirks Kazama, using his telekinesis to lift the throne off of King Roak himself. "So be it!"

Queen Amaranth is caught by surprise by the throne's sudden levitation and is thrown back as it is cast aside. King Roark, though shocked about being freed willingly, immediately straightens up and takes up his enemies' challenge. "Stay down! I'll take care of this!" he says to the queen as he picks up his sword.

"Father..! Please don't kill her..!" Zelda pleads desperately. "She might not be conscious of any of this! That wizard could be controlling her against her will..!"

"That does not matter!" Roark assertively protests. "Whether it be by brainwash or by choice, she stands as an enemy and a threat either way and _must_ be dealt with! And if I have to kill her to do so...SO BE IT!"

"Then let the bloodshed commence..!" Ruto says with a maniacal smile.

"No..!" Zelda sobs.

"Yes! This should be quite entertaining!" says Kazama with glee. "Oh! But, wait! Something isn't right..!" He uses his telekinesis to fetch himself a bowl of popcorn and a beverage from the banquet as he comfortably _'seats'_ himself in midair to watch the fight. "That's better. Do carry on! _Of course...I already know how this will play out, but it should be an interesting watch nonetheless."

Ruto stands in place, her stance somewhat hunched like a gargoyle (which is quite unusual for Ruto, who always maintains proper posture). She is unarmed, yet unafraid as King Roark rushes upon her with his blade in hand.

Although the Hylian king does loathe to have to do this in front of his wife and daughter, who have both loved Ruto like kin, as well as to deprive his own friend and ally King Zora of a daughter even after all the losses the old Zora has suffered already, he cannot hide the wrathful smile upon his own face as he swings his blade at Ruto's neck, aiming to leave her headless. _He never did like her._ "Yaaaaahh..!"

 _*Slash!*_

But the blow connects not... She vanishes into thin air!

 _*Poof!*_

King Roark stands in awe. _Where did Ruto learn to do that?!_

"Over here..." he hears her taunt. He turns to see her standing several feet from him, a confident smirk upon her face.

Snapping out of his bewilderment with rage renewed, the Hylian king rushes upon the gloating Zora and tries once again to strike her down with his blade.

 _*Slash!*_

But she vanishes once again. His blade only cuts through the air as she reappears behind him. "What's the matter? Can't keep up?" she continues to taunt. "Oh, but of course you can't! You couldn't even keep your own _pants_ up!"

His face reddened with frustration, anger, and embarrassment alike, King Roark let's out an enraged warcry and tries all the more desperately to land a blow. His efforts remain utterly futile. Ruto only continues to disappear each time he comes close, leaving the exasperated king to slash at the air.

 _*Slash!* *Poof!* *Slash!* *Poof!* *Slash!* *Poof!* *Slash!* *Poof!*_

* * *

From his overhead view on the floor above, Link witnesses the king's futile struggle to land a blow against Princess De Bon. The green-garbed recruit keeps his bow aimed at her, ready to strike her down in an instant to aid his king as a soldier should.

Yet he fires not. He is much too hesitant to shoot.

After all; are not the Zora supposed to be the Hylians' closest allies? Could it be that this Zoran princess is actually under some sort of mind-control and is being forced to fight the royal family of Hyrule against her will or knowledge? For all Link can currently tell from here; it could even be that _King Roark_ may the one under evil influence right now and Princess De Bon is merely defending herself!

With so much confusion, so much uncertainty, the young Hylian just cannot bring himself to shoot her out of fear that he may be spilling the blood of an innocent. And even if he were to attempt it, there is a chance that he would end up hitting King Roark instead at the rate she keeps vanishing into thin air every time he comes close to landing a blow.

 _Yet he must do something!_

No one can get close enough to help due to that elemental barricade those Wizzrobes are casting around the battle, and Link is probably one of very few recruits to have even brought a ranged weapon today, since nobody expected that the need to actually fight would arise, and equipping a bow would have only seemed like a cumbersome piece of extra weight to carry around on the job. _(Link is not even sure why he brought one himself, in all honesty...)_

He knows not if this Zora princess is a victim or a villain...

But there is at least _one person_ down there whom he can be pretty sure has absolutely evil intent.

With determination building fast in his eyes, the young Hylian withdraws his aim from the dueling royalties below and quickly moves along by the guardrail for a better range. He stops at the first place where he has a clear shot at his intended target;

The wizard.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! So what do you think is up with Ruto right now? Has she been brainwashed? ...Or corrupt with power?**


	32. 4-4 The Vampire Zora

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 4: Rise of the Devastati_

 **Chapter 4** **  
** _The Vampire Zora_

His target in direct sight, Link aims his bow towards the deranged wizard. He aligns his arrow with Kazama's throat, ready to deliver the killing blow against his unsuspecting target.

Kazama remains oblivious to the Hylian about to shoot him. He levitates comfortably above the ground and continues stuffing his face with popcorn while contently watching the fight between Princess Ruto and King Roark for entertainment.

 _(Come to think of it... Does it not seem somewhat odd to be serving popcorn at a royal banquet..? Are they trying to cut costs with low-budget appetizers or something?)_

Link fires.

 _*Thwack!*_

The arrow makes contact. It pierces right through Kazama's throat, sticking out of the back of his neck.

But much to Link's shock and horror, the wizard barely reacts to the blow. He calmly looks down at the arrow in his neck...and nonchalantly grips it with just his hand. It is as if he feels not the slightest bit of pain from it!

"Say, now that I think about it..." he says as he casually removes the arrow, showing not even a change in his breathing; "Does it not seem somewhat odd to be serving popcorn at a _royal_ banquet..? Are they trying to cut costs with low-budget appetizers or something? I just wish they would have at _least_ had the decency to not be so stingy with the amount of butter they put on this stuff! I give it three out of five stars for its mediocrity!"

Link stares agape as the wound closes instantly. He cannot begin to fathom how anyone could possibly take an arrow to the throat and not even be bothered by it. _Who IS this wizard..?!_

 _*Clang!*_

The young Hylian snaps from his baffled daze at the heavy sound of metal to his immediate right. He turns to face it...

And is met by an armed Darknut about to bring its sword down upon him! _YIKES!_

Dodging quickly to the side, Link just narrowly evades a potential deathblow by less than an inch.

But his bow is not so lucky. The tip of the Darknut's sharp blade nicks against the string and cuts it. "Oh, come on!" says Link in exasperation as he flees his attacker. "That's the second time today!"

Being no match for the clearly superior size and strength of his iron-clad foe, the young Hylian can only run. Although slowed by the weight of its metal armor, the Darknut pursues relentlessly. Link remains followed by the rapid sound of its heavy footsteps behind him.

 _*Clink! Clang! Clink! Clang! Clink! Clang!*_

Running as fast as his legs can carry him, the Hylian is stopped in his tracks as a second Darknut intercepts his path. Iron-clad foes closing in on him from both sides, his own swordsmanship too insufficient to fight back with against even just one of them, Link finds himself trapped. "(I am _so_ dead...)" he thinks to himself.

Outmatched and facing certain doom if he lingers, the desperate Hylian looks to the ongoing battle on the floor below. His options running slim and the odds of escaping with his life already greatly against him, he decides to pull a risky move...

Quickly drawing his sword and shield, Link narrowly evades the Darknuts' incoming blows by making a daring leap over the nearby railing to the floor beneath him. Directing his jump towards the nearest Wizzrobe, he lands on Arborald, the green-garbed Arch Wizzrobe of Forrest, and strikes him by surprise from above. " _HYEEAH!"_

 _*Slash!*_

Link and Arborald both crash upon the floor, the former using the latter to break his own fall enough that he succeeds to survive the drop uninjured, though the impact is still painful. The nefarious Arch Wizzrobe of Forrest is stunned from the blow but nowhere near dead. It will take much more than that to vanquish a monster as powerful as he. His part of the elemental barrier ceases during his moment of daze, granting some soldiers the opportunity to push through.

"Arborald! Snap out of it!" command Kazama. "You are supposed to be managing pest-control! We seem to be drawing a crowd!"

Quickly snapping to, the Arch Wizzrobe of Forest finds himself surrounded by soldiers attempting to finish him while he is down. He immediately reacts by whipping up a mighty gale to toss the attacking soldiers away from himself before ascending into the air again and turns his gaze hatefully to the Hylian who assaulted him. "Why, you little punk!" he says as he lifts Link with his telekinesis. "Decided to rudely drop in on me, did you? Ha! You aren't even worth the little effort it will take to dispose of you!"

Without another word or care, he hurls the helpless Hylian skyward with great force.

 _*Wham!*_

Pain surges through Link's body as he collides with the highest point of the ceiling. Dropping back down after the impact, he is narrowly saved from falling to certain death as his shield gets caught between the spokes of a chandelier.

 _*Clank!*_

Candles fall from their place as the chandelier is tilted from his weight. Several hit him in the face on the way down. Link grows dizzy from the view as he watches them drop to the ground. It is quite the long drop.

"(Great...)" he thinks to himself as he hangs by only his shield-arm. "(Now I'm _definitely_ dead...)"

With Link out of the way, Arborald wastes no time reinforcing his part of the barricade to block out further intervention, though five armed soldiers have already made their way to the royal family's aid. "Protect the royal family!" they shout.

"Guards!" orders King Roark in between swinging futile blows against Ruto. "Eliminate the wizard and his henchmen at once! ...And that includes this traitor of a Zora!"

Kazama does not appear to consider them much of a threat. "Oh, how I hate it when the rodents slip their way into the pantry..." he says as he straightens up and puts his refreshments aside. "No matter. These will not be difficult to deal with."

Princess Ruto appears behind King Roark and effortlessly knocks him to the floor with a low sweep at his legs. "Allow me, Master..." she says calmly to Kazama. "No need to trouble yourself with these lowly insects. I can handle them myself." She pins King Roark to the floor with her foot and looks down at him with a taunting smirk. "...Toying with this old fool was getting rather dull anyway."

King Roark grits his teeth in anger. "Do not be so arrogant! You will never defeat my men on your own!"

"Watch me," Ruto says confidently as the soldiers surround her.

 _*Poof!*_

She vanishes once again. She reappears behind one of the soldiers in the back and bites him in the neck like a bloodthirsty savage. The soldier screams aloud in pain.

And then turns to stone.

Everyone gasps in awe at Ruto's newfound power. No Zora in history has ever been recorded to do such things.

"S-somebody end her..!" orders King Roark. Panic is growing obvious in his voice.

The four remaining soldiers rush upon Ruto without hesitation. Any trace of remorse for having to attack the princess of their allies has now vanished entirely.

But Ruto remains unfazed...

Surprising her opponents even further, she lets out an earsplitting screech that paralyzes them all in their tracks. When the dazed soldiers snap out of it and regain their senses, they realize she is nowhere to be seen...

Until they hear the voice of the soldier in the rear cry out as she sinks her fangs into the back of his neck, draining his life-force and turning him to stone just like the one before.

"Mmm! Nothing is more delicious than the taste of human blood!" she says contently as she licks her lips from the bite. "I want _more!"_

"Get her!" the soldiers shout in panic before rushing upon her.

Ruto leaps backward to the wall, which she then scales effortlessly like a gecko; another trait that her kind is not known to bear.

She looks down at her opponents with blazing eyes that lack pupils and lets out a demonic hiss. She leaps from the wall and begins to spew fireballs at them from her mouth as she jumps over them; an ability that no Zora other than those of the malicious Geozard tribe are naturally capable of using. Upon landing, she immediately follows up by biting yet another soldier and turning him to stone.

"More!" She greedily demands as she licks the blood from her lips. "I want _MORE!"_

The two remaining soldiers both come upon her at once. She darts between them...and then vanishes just before they swing to attack...

Causing their blows to hit each other instead!

 _*Whack!*_

She quickly bites one and then the other while they are down, turning them both to stone. She had defeated all five armed soldiers without even using a weapon of her own. All within a minute's time.

"Impossible..!" King Roark exclaims in bewilderment at Ruto's power. The entire royal family shakes with fear as she turns her gaze towards them.

"Now then..." she says menacingly. "Let us see what _royal_ blood tastes like..!"

Princess Zelda and Queen Amaranth scream in horror as Ruto pounces King Roark and sinks her teeth into his throat. He, too, turns to stone before their weeping eyes.

Kazama applauds. "Yes, yes, Good show, my servant! But time runs short and we have more to do. So finish this quickly and collect the princess's blood. Let us find out if it really does hold any divine power."

"With pleasure..." Ruto gleefully hisses in response as she turns toward Zelda.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Here's a little trivia regarding some characters' names; "Kazama" is roughly derived from the word "alakazam" (because, you know; he's a wizard), and King Roark's name is intended to sound like "rock" (referring to his fate shown here), and also a little bit like "roar" (referring to his tendency to throw his royal weight around like a roaring lion). I got the name from the Rock-type gym leader of _Pokemon Diamond & Pearl _and found it fitting.**


	33. 4-5 Hanging On

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 4: Rise of the Devastati_

 **Chapter 5** **  
** _Hanging On_

Link's arm is quickly growing tired as he hangs from the chandelier. He cannot hold on forever.

He attempts to pull himself up top but his movement causes the chandelier to wobble, nearly causing him to lose grip.

"Whoa! Easy there, buddy!" says a sudden voice from above him. "You keep tilting the chandelier!"

 _Huh?_

Link look up to see quite the unexpected sight. Standing atop the chandelier and holding on to the suspension ropes to avoid falling, is none other than... _TINGLE..?!_

"That's not very safe to be hanging like that!" scolds the odd little man before extending a hand. "Here, let Tingle help you up. It's much safer for both of us if you just come up here and quit behaving so dangerously."

Unsure how to react to this unexpected encounter, but more than welcoming for the help (as odd as it may be), Link takes hold of Tingle's hand and is pulled up top. Many question run through the recruit's head. Once safely on top of the chandelier with Tingle, he immediately begin to ask a few; "What are you doing inside the castle during a raid..?! And more importantly; why are you up here on the chandelier..?!"

"Oh, it's a funny story, actually..." Tingle begins to explain; "Tingle was just minding his own business, running his carnival game outside...when suddenly a horn blew, and then one of the guards started ordering that everyone in green should leave their current position and get into the castle right away. And Tingle wears green, so here I am!" he finishes proudly.

Link stares blankly in awkward silence.

"So..." Tingle continues; "Why do you think they wanted everyone in green to come inside right now, anyway? It seems like a dangerous time to be bringing us all in with all these monsters in here, don't you think?"

"Um... He meant for all recruits of the Royal Guard to come in..." Link awkwardly explains; "Those of us recruits wearing green, like me, are normally stationed _outside_ the castle, but because of the emergency, we were ordered to come in and help defend with the rest of the Hyrulean Unit... Citizens like you were supposed to stay outside and evacuate to safety..."

"Oh!" says Tingle. "That makes more sense, now that I think about it."

"Anyway..." says Link, still baffled at everything. "That still doesn't explain how you ended up here on the chandelier..."

"Ah, yes!" Tingle responds. "When Tingle got into the castle, everyone was running around and panicking, so Tingle couldn't see what was happening! So I used my trusty balloon pack to rise above the crowds and get a better view!" He proudly points to the helium-filled device on his back, which has a deflated balloon dangling from it. "...But then Tingle's balloon popped against an ornament on the ceiling and he fell. And that's how Tingle ended up here."

"...I see," says Link after an awkward pause. He turns his gaze back to the battle beneath them.

Below, the corrupt Zora princess swiftly makes short work of five Hylian soldiers. Although she is unarmed, they stand not a chance against the unnatural powers she wields like no other Zora before. Within a moment, she has turned them and King Roark all to stone.

"This is bad..!" says Link, helpless to watch and unable to interfere from here without his bow.

"Oh, yes! There are lots of monsters down there!" Tingle agrees. "Of course, if _the guards_ around here -though Tingle's not naming any names- would have just spent more time actually _keeping watch_ instead of repeatedly bothering us carnival operators about our prices all day, then _maybe_ this sort of thing wouldn't have to be happening right now! Just saying..."

* * *

The king and his soldiers now standing behind her as lifeless statues, Ruto locks her demonic eyes, burning pale and soulless with bloodlust, onto her next target;

 _Princess Zelda._

Still immobilized by the surrounding dark-magic, the Hylian princess braces herself for death. A death she has been longing for since the moment the wizard launched his attack. Which was just a few minutes ago, yet it feels like an eternity.

But before Ruto can strike, she is seized from behind.

"Stay away from my daughter..!" yells Queen Amaranth in desperation and rage, both arms wrapped around the Zora to restrain her. Endless streams of tears veil her cheeks as hatred like never before seen in her blazes in her eyes.

Ruto remains unfazed. She casually turns her head to face the queen with amusement as the latter attempts vainly to overpower her with pitiful strength.

"How can you do this?!" the queen hollers with sorrow and hatred. "I have known you since you were but a small child! I hold so many fond memories of watching you play together with my little Zelda as children and making her smile brighter than anyone else ever did! And although Roark may not have favored you, I had always delighted in the lively atmosphere you used to bring to the castle in your visits of youth, and I loved you just as I would a second daughter! You may have grown cold as you aged, yet I still never dreamed you would succeed in making me _hate_ you! But now you have betrayed my love; you have taken my husband from me before my eyes and intend to do the same to my only daughter! This is something even I will never forgive you for! I know not what has gotten into you, but I don't even care now! I want you _DEAD!"_

Zelda's heart sinks to see such hatred coming from even her mother. She would have never guessed the normally quiet and gentle queen was even capable of feeling hatred for anyone, yet the loss of her husband and endangerment of her daughter has unleashed a frightening new side of her that Zelda has never seen before.

Perhaps even more frightening than Ruto's current state...

The queen struggles arduously to hold the Zora back, daringly putting all her might into trying to throw her down despite possessing no fighting-skills of her own.

But her efforts are pitifully futile. Ruto grips Amaranth's wrists, hard enough to make her scream in pain, and effortlessly releases herself from her grasp before slamming her to the floor. She pins her there using not even half her full strength and sinks her teeth in with a dastardly smirk.

 _*Chomp!*_

"Mother..!" cries Zelda in tears as she watches her mother turn to stone by her best friend's deliberate doing.

"Oh, that was pitiful!" laughs Kazama. "I never knew the queen had it in her! But the princess remains our only relevant target, so let us not delay any longer! Get to it and collect her blood for our goals!"

Ruto licks the queen's blood from her fangs and looks to Zelda with twisted glee. "Yes, Master..."

The ring of dark-magic restraining Zelda at last dies down, making way so Ruto can attack. She pounces on the Hylian like a Wolfos mauling its prey and pins her to the floor, sinking unnaturally sharp nails into her throat that feel far more like the claws of a beast than the nails of any Zora of her breed.

"Ruto..." Zelda weakly utters under her breath, longing desperately for some sign of sanity to reappear in those soulless eyes.

"Now...for the most delicious taste of all noble blood..." Ruto hisses gleefully, breathing foul air into Zelda's face as she speaks. "The blood of the goddess..! It should hold more power in you than it did in that pathetic King Roark!" She licks her chops greedily, as if savoring this moment before she sinks her teeth in. "How I've longed for this..."

 _She has 'longed' for it..? But since when has Ruto ever practiced vampirism before? She is most definitely not herself..._

"Any last words... _'goddess blood'_..?" she asks tauntingly. Her painfully sharp claws piercing even deeper into Zelda's flesh.

Zelda lies absolutely helpless against Ruto's superior strength. Even if she had learned any means of self-defense, it would do her no good now. There is nothing she could possibly do to fight back even if she tried.

But there is still one thing she _CAN_ do...

Her face still awash in tears, she tightly closes her eyes in concentration. At the top of her voice, she calls out to the heavens aloud in prayer;

" _O golden goddesses of Hyrule; Din, Nayru, and Farore, I beseech you! Please, in our hour of need, send us your aid! Deliver us from this evil invasion that threatens my people!"_

Ruto, with eyes still pale and soulless, looks down at Zelda with a slight sense of surprise at her response. But that surprise is quickly replaced with condescending mirth.

She snickers.

Then bursts out laughing along with the wizard; " _Grah hah hah hah!_ Oh, would you get a load of this! The _'daughter of Hylia'_ is calling out for her heavenly mommies! Ain't that just adorable! ...And by _'adorable'_ I mean _PATHETIC!"_

"Ha ha ha! Do you think praying is going to save you?!" Kazama laughs condescendingly. "What a naïve princess you are indeed! Prayer is for those who are too weak to take care of themselves... and too _gullible_ to realize that it makes no difference! Do you really think your goddesses could care less about what happens to you? If they're powerful enough to create an entire universe, what concern do you really think the lives of some puny mortals would be of theirs?!"

"Let's be real..." Ruto tauntingly adds; "Those in power care _nothing_ of those below them! You are incapable of doing anything for the likes of _them,_ so why would they trouble themselves condescending to do anything for _YOU.._? Even if you do have the _blood of the goddess..._ you're still just a forgettable pawn to her!"

"Those _'golden goddesses'_ whom you so revere have abandoned the world to rot since the day they created it!" says Kazama. "Pity you never learned to live in the real world sooner, Princess... If you had...then perhaps this wouldn't have to be your last day in it! Now then; enough time has been wasted on this foolish princess! End her now, my servant!"

Ruto reinforces her painful grip on Zeldas throat and hisses in her face. "Happy birthday... _'goddess blood'_..." she taunts menacingly. "Too bad your _heavenly mommies_ don't care enough to save you..!"

Without another word...she sinks her unnaturally fangs into the Hylian princess's shoulder. Zelda cries of pain echo through the castle as dark energy surges painfully through her body while her life-force is rapidly drained;

" _AYYYYYIIIIIEEEEEEEEE.._!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Tingle sure knows how to make an entrance, don't you think? LOL**


	34. 4-6 Daring Persistence

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 4: Rise of the Devastati_

 **Chapter 6** **  
** _Daring Persistense_

" _O golden goddesses of Hyrule; Din, Nayru, and Farore, I beseech you! Please, in our hour of need, send us your aid! Deliver us from this evil invasion that threatens my people!"_

As these words echo from Hyrule Castle, something resonates within the Sacred Realm...

Three holy flames, one colored green, another red, and the other blue, begin to stir. They merge to form a shining sphere of golden light.

" _YOUR TIME HAS COME, TRISPIRIT..."_ speaks a divine voice. _"GO NOW; SEEK THOSE FOUND WORTHY OF THIS TASK...AND GUIDE THEM THROUGH THEIR DESTINY..."_

In response to these words spoken to it, the sphere of golden light ascends. From the Sacred Realm it departs, making its way into the world of Hyrule.

* * *

Stuck atop a chandelier at the highest point in the castle's ceiling with no way down, his bowstring broken after having already used the spare today, there is nothing Link can do but continue to hold on and wait out the battle as he watches the chaos below.

In plain sight beneath him, the Zora princess mauls Princess Zelda after having turned the queen to stone. In great pain, the Hylian princess cries out as her fellow princess sinks her teeth into her shoulder to drink her blood and drain her life-force. Link wishes he could help her somehow but there is nothing he can do from up here.

Tingle looks down below as well, though he seems not as grieved as Link is. "Quite lovely view from here, isn't it?"

Feeling somewhat appalled at the odd man's incomprehension of the grave situations that surround, Link gives him a look. "A _'lovely view'_..? We're in the middle of a _battle!_ With bloodshed and panic at every turn! How is that a _'lovely view'_..?!"

"That's true. But you need to look at the positive side of things..." Tingle points below to where Ruto leans over Zelda to drain her blood. "We still have a lovely view of the Zora princess's cute booty!"

Link is not amused. Immediately grabbing hold of the little man's hood, he pulls it down over his eyes to thwart his ogling.

* * *

The sting in Zelda's shoulder, it grows increasingly painful by the second as Ruto's teeth sink ever deeper into her flesh. Her whole arm has grown too numb to even lift.

However...she strangely has not been turned to stone yet even though everyone else Ruto has bitten had completely petrified within mere seconds...

Why she has yet to petrify, Zelda knows not. But it appears Ruto is just as confused; she seems to be biting harder and growing somewhat restless. She soon grows flustered, focusing so much on trying to turn her prey to stone that she neglects keeping Zelda pinned down. Her grip on the Hylian princess's other arm is absent-mindedly overlooked.

Granting Zelda a faint opportunity to take action.

Though the pain is unbearable, she ignores it and does the one thing she can. Catching Ruto by surprise, she extends her one free arm around her...

And pulls her into a sisterly embrace.

"Ruto... Please..." she pleads desperately, hoping to return her friend to her senses. "Please snap out of it..! I know...this isn't you... The Ruto I know would never do anything like this by her own bidding..!"

Ruto is momentarily taken aback by the sudden embrace. She briefly pauses from sucking Zelda's blood, if only for but a few seconds, seemingly dumbfounded and unsure how to react.

Kazama is just as baffled at Zelda's determination to save her friend. "Wha_? You... You idiot..!" scoffs he. "You mean even after everything you have seen and suffered today... you _still_ have the stupidity to continue to trust..?! Why, you must be even more naive than I thought!"

Ignoring the wizard as she does her scourging pain, Zelda only continues to persist to Ruto; "I saw how devastated you were when you realized that you accidentally caused someone a serious injury back there in the stadium earlier... I know you wouldn't harm an innocent intentionally... I don't know what they did to make you like this...but it's clear to me...that you are under their control... You are not responsible for any of this..!"

Ruto seems to grow tense. She begins biting more frantically, repeatedly tearing away at Zelda's shoulder muscles with her teeth, trying desperately to get the dark power that should be turning her to stone to finally take effect.

But to no avail.

"I'm not...giving up on you...Ruto..." Zelda weakly persists, her tear-soaked cheek pressed against her corrupted friend. "You and I may not share blood...we may not always see things eye-to-eye...but you have still always been family in my mind... And right now...you are the only family I have left... My father and mother have just been taken away from me before my eyes... I cannot bear to lose you too..! So please... Please force whatever is controlling you out of your mind and come back..! If not for me, then at least for your biological kin..! Your family is broken enough as it is... Your father and brother have suffered plenty of losses already... Don't allow any of us to lose yet another loved one..! Think of how heartbroken they will be...when they see you like this... You have to come back to us..!"

Kazama grows increasingly baffled at Zelda's words and actions. "Ah... _Hello?!_ Aren't you forgetting something..? She is the _reason_ your family was just taken from you! I should think you would have learned to _HATE_ her by now...not call her _'family'!_ And why do you strain yourself in a futile effort to convince her to rejoin your side, anyhow? She is just _ONE_ ally! I don't know anymore if I find your naivety amusing or embarrassing at this point..."

"Please, Ruto..." Zelda only continues to plead, though her consciousness is slowly beginning to slip from her due to the rapid loss of blood. "Remember who...you are... Please... Come back...to us..."

"Bah! I tire of this sappy, sentimental nonsense..!" Kazama scoffs in disgust. "Would you just turn this imbecile of a princess to stone and get it over with already..?!"

"I'm trying, I'm TRYING!" Ruto retaliates in frustration. "But she just...won't...petrify..!" She slams Zelda hard against the ground, forcing her out of the embrace. "You stupid human! Why won't you just shut up and turn to stone already?! And you're creeping me out with your stupid _'sisterly love'_ thing! What kind of Hylian and Zora regard each other as ' _sisters'_ anyhow?! That's just...stupid..! And how are you even still alive?! I've already drained more blood and life-force from you than anyone else! If this is how it's going to be...then I'll just kill you the messy way..!"

"Oh, don't bother..." Kazama says to Ruto with little concern. "Since she has managed to stubbornly live through this much, then perhaps such persistence should be rewarded... Yes, I believe I will permit her to live just a little bit longer so that she can see her kingdom's destruction to the very end! Now then, off with you! You have already collected her blood; your work here is done. The next course of action calling for your attention should be ready to commence in but a moment. So get to it! I will deal with this foolish princess myself."

Ruto is slightly annoyed by the order, but complies nonetheless. "Yes, Master..." she says with a reluctant hiss.

She releases Zelda at last...but not without slashing her in the face in frustration before departing.

 _*Slash!*_

Weakened horribly from the loss of blood, Zelda lies numbly and helplessly on the floor. She pushed it too far. No longer can she move. She can only watch as Ruto waves a hand over the ground before her, causing a portal resembling a ring of fire around a black hole to appear. She dreads to imagine what malignant deed her friend has been assigned to carry out next.

"(I'm so sorry, Ruto...)" she says mentally as the Zora disappears into the dark portal. "(I couldn't do anything to save you from that wizard's control. I failed you...)" She weakly glances around at the rest of the surrounding chaos. "(Just as I failed everyone else as the symbol of hope that I was supposed to represent for my kingdom...)"

Kazama seizes her with his telekinesis. "I don't know how you managed to live through all that, but since you are still alive and aware, I suppose it is only fair that the princess and birthday girl should be granted a front row seat to witness the final moments of her kingdom. And since we have already collected the sample of your blood that we needed, the real fun is just about to begin! So sit back and enjoy the show, Princess... It is all your own doing, after all!"

Levitated off the ground, Zelda is held afloat above the battle to helplessly watch in torment the turmoil that Kazama and his followers wreak upon her home and her people. Her wounds from Ruto still fresh and painful, she grows increasingly nauseous by the second from having lost so much blood.

Below her, the Arch Wizzrobes no longer concern themselves with using their elemental powers to block out interference. They now use their combined powers to unleash a full onslaught. Soldiers are rapidly struck down left and right in great abundance with a storm of elemental magic-attacks.

Zelda cannot bear to watch the unspeakable horrors unfolding before her. Pain, panic, and bloodshed surround her everywhere she turns. The only place to which she can avert her gaze is upwards to the two green-garbed men seated on the chandelier above her...

 _Wait_ WHAT..?_

Her nauseous eyes look again in confusion to Link and Tingle, who indeed sit upon the chandelier looking back down at her. _Now how in the world did they get up there?_

"Oh, look!" Tingle excitedly exclaims to Link. "There's Princess Zelda! She's looking right at us!" He waves enthusiastically and calls out to her; "Hello, Princess! Tingle didn't know you could fly!"

Zelda knows not if what she is seeing is real or some odd hallucination caused by her blood loss. Nonetheless, she (awkwardly) waves back to be polite, though quickly winces in pain from her bleeding wounds.

"Do you see that?" Tingle says to Link with a nudge. "The princess is looking this way! She is totally checking Tingle out right now! Oh, what a chick-magnet I am!"

Link shakes his head at the odd little man's bizarre assumptions. _Talk about delusional..._

 _Does this guy seriously not even see or comprehend the extreme torment and suffering she is going through right now?!_

"Oh, and happy birthday!" Tingle continues to call out to the princess. "You are 18 today, yes? A legal adult now? So you know... Tingle just so happens to be single and looking!" he finishes with a wink.

 _Nope. He does not comprehend it at all..._

Link can only look away, feeling embarrassed on a number of levels. His gaze turned to the panicked crowds below, he soon jolts in alarm as he catches sight of one particular individual falling behind as she flees hopelessly for her life from a rampaging Darknut in pursuit;

His grandmother.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Here we have the first mentioning of the eponymous TriSpirit. It's only for a brief moment, but it will play a central part in the story soon enough.**


	35. 4-7 Fighting Back

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 4: Rise of the Devastati_

 **Chapter 7** **  
** _Fighting Back_

His beloved grandmother in mortal peril in plain sight beneath him on the castle's second floor, Link leans forward in panic for a closer view, inadvertently tilting the chandelier that he has been stuck on with Tingle as he does.

There is no way she can outrun the Darknut rampaging behind her, nor are there any nearby soldiers within her immediate location to aid her at the moment. The armored fiend is undoubtedly going to kill her..!

"Whoa! Hey!" exclaims Tingle as he nearly falls off the chandelier. "Didn't Tingle tell you not to tilt the chandelier already?! You know something? You are a very dangerous chandelier-sharer! Tingle was nice enough to let you join him on the chandelier even though Tingle was here first, and yet you act as if you're the only one up here! If you are going to be so inconsiderate of other people whom you are sharing with, then no one is even going to _want_ to share a chandelier with you at all!"

He then pulls a cord on the helium-filled device on his back...causing the deflated balloon to detach as a new one fills up and takes its place.

 _Wait_ He has had a backup balloon on his pack this whole time...and he is only just NOW using it..?!_

"Tingle has had enough!" he continues angrily. "Tingle is leaving! You can just keep yourself company from now on, you... _chandelier-hog_ , you!" With not another word, he steps off the chandelier, safely floating away on his balloon.

"Um...hey!" Link calls after him. "Can you help me get down too, please..?!" But it is too late. Tingle is already drifting his way out the window to safety. Link is left to try and figure out a way down on his own.

And he must do it _NOW._

With Tingle gone and out of harm's way, Link decides to go for all or nothing and take an extreme risk. It is his only chance to save his grandmother. Drawing his sword, he looks below to make sure there are no innocents beneath.

 _The coast is clear._

Positioning himself to be ready to jump, Link rocks the chandelier back and forward to make it swing in the direction he intends. He takes a deep breath and says a quick prayer for the goddesses to grant him success as he holds his blade to the suspension ropes.

 _*Slash!*_

With a single swipe, he cuts them all at once. The chandelier falls from the ceiling.

Timing himself with precision, he leaps from the falling chandelier as it comes level with the second floor. His foot lands successfully on the guardrail, which he uses as stepping stone to spring forward, missing not a beat, to throw himself between the attacking Darknut and his grandmother just as it is about to chop off her head.

 _*Clang!*_

His shield intercepts the blow just before it could land. The Darknut is momentarily taken aback by Link's sudden appearance and intervention.

"Link!" exclaims his grandmother in shock. "Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine!" he replies assertively, taking his eyes not off his foe. "Now go! Get out while you can!"

"But aren't you_?!" she begins to say, but is hastily cut off.

"Don't worry about me!" insist Link, blocking another blow from the Darknut. "Just get out of here! Follow the guards and go! _NOW!"_

She does as told and runs (or in her case; waddles) as fast as her elderly body can move, following the elite recruits' lead to the rooftops as Link stalls the Darknut to cover her escape.

But a weapon heavy enough to damage through armor, Link has not. And with his swordsmanship being the poorest in his class, his odds of overcoming a foe this formidable, armored or not, seem impossibly low as it is.

"(I am so, _so_ dead..!)" thinks the Hylian as the Darknut swings its mighty blade.

It continues to advance upon him, viciously attacking with its heavy sword. Link dodges and parries to the best of his ability, but the Darknut is gradually backing him into a corner with each swing. Soon, the Hylian finds himself running quickly out of ground behind himself to retreat to. It is only a matter of seconds before he is completely backed against the wall with nowhere to go.

It is just like how combat-training with his peers always went for him in Sir Pent's training-course...

 _Is this how it is to end?_ If Link could never begin to come close to matching Volker's might, what hope could he possibly have to defeat an armored Darknut whose strength is at least as great?

What is worse: unlike his fellow trainees, who, at worst, would only cause him potential injury upon delivering a harsh blow, this Darknut is not at all going to stop at just that...

It fully intends to _KILL_ him.

And, given how little space remains between Link's backside and the wall right now, it appears it will succeed in doing so within just a few more seconds at max...

Finding himself merely one last step away from being trapped against the wall, he recalls in his mind the words of criticism he received from Sir Pent during training:

' _You only flee from your opponent's attacks and barely unleash any of your own! Quit neglecting your offense and show some aggression!'_

What has always been Link's downfall in any practice-battle against his peers was always that he was unwilling to risk anything out of fear of suffering another injury and leaving his grandmother unaided. But now the consequences of failing are much higher than any duel of swords he has ever been through. His life will most certainly end now if he does not defeat this opponent, which is a far worse outcome than a broken hand ever could be.

So what does he have to lose that is not already about to be taken from him anyway?

As the Darknut's sword comes down upon him, Link parries it once again with his own. As the blades clash, the sight of the crest of Farore, the goddess of courage, engraved in his own sword catches his eye.

 _Courage..._ That is what he needs now more than anything.

" _(O goddess Farore,)"_ he mentally prays between blocking. _"(Please grant me the strength and courage to overcome my foe..!)"_

As the Darknut's blade comes down on him once more, rather than stepping backwards again and trapping himself against the wall, Link seizes the very brief opening to dive to the floor and roll under the Darknut's swing, just narrowly evading the deathblow and landing a strike of his own to his opponent's backside.

 _*Slash!*_

The straps holding the Darknut's armor together have been cut. Having lost some of its protection, the diabolic knight is left open to strikes from a sword. Link and his opponent are now evenly matched.

The young Hylian begins to advance upon his foe with further blows, regardless of the danger to himself. Soon the tables are turned; Link is the one pushing the Darknut into the defensive position.

The two rapidly exchange a number of swings. Despite the Darknut's superior size and strength, it finds itself overwhelmed by Link's well-honed agility and coordination. None of its blows succeed to land on this nimble Hylian.

Growing frantic, the vexed Darknut rages forward to attack Link with full force. The blow comes uncomfortably close, but the young Hylian manages to just narrowly jump out of the way. Wasting not a single second, Link rushes into the Darknut with a ferocious flurry of combo attacks.

"HYEAAH!"

 _*Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!*_

Everything seems to be moving in slow motion for Link as he unleashes his counterattack, perhaps due to the adrenaline of battle. The Darknut itself even seems to stand almost completely still in time during this surreal-feeling moment, enabling Link to land far more blows than he would have estimated possible.

Having taken more damage than its life-force can handle, the Darknut lets out a cry of pain as its body begins to wither away, leaving behind nothing but an empty suit of its remaining armor.

Link stands astounded at his achievement. He had just won his first sword-fight!

But now is no time to stand around idly and admire his accomplishment; there is still a battle going on, and many more lives are in danger.

A second Darknut comes upon him, which may very well be the same one that had chased after him moments ago. But this time, Link stands his ground.

Lining up the Darknut's incoming blow with one of the castle's pillars, Link sidesteps the attack at the last moment, causing the Darknut's sword to collide with the said pillar, quickly getting stuck. Link takes this opportunity to cut the straps on his foe's armor like before, leaving the Darknut vulnerable to his own attacks by the time it manages to free its blade.

Unconcerned for his own safety, Link fearlessly battles the Darknut in a clash of swords. Though his opponent is quite formidable, he succeeds to overcome the second diabolic knight just the same as the one before. Even finishing with another combo that feels almost as if it takes place in slow motion after narrowly evading a blow from his opponent.

His foe vanquished, but concern for his grandmother and the others still dwelling on his mind, Link decides to take a brief moment to follow the citizens whom the elite recruits have led to the rooftops, wishing to make sure that whatever plan they have for evacuating that way is going without any problems.

Especially since his grandmother is among them.

He arrives at the rooftop. He finds that the elite recruits are keeping the citizens lined up as far away from the doorways leading back into the castle as possible while examining them all for weapons, making sure none of the citizens are carrying anything suspicious/dangerous before executing the evacuation they supposedly have planned.

The citizens are still worried about what might come, but the recruits seem oddly relaxed for people who are currently risking their own lives to rescue so many otherwise-helpless citizens. They seem fully confident that their supposed evacuation plan will go off without the slightest hitch.

The citizens complain in panic;

"How do they plan on getting us down from here?!"

"We look pretty trapped to me!"

"Those monsters could come up here any moment and we'll all be sitting ducks!"

One of the elite recruits reassures them; "Just stay where you are, everyone. Your way out of here will be arriving at any second now."

One of the red-garbed recruits then notices Link. Quite unexpectedly, he scowls at the lesser recruit as if offended by his presence. "Hey! What do you think _you're_ doing up here?! Get back downstairs and help some other unarmed citizens find their way up!"

"S-sorry..!" Link apologizes timidly. "I just thought I'd check and make sure everyone was_"

"Everyone here is _FINE!_ " the elite recruit angrily interrupts. "We've got everything under control here! Now get your butt outta here and quit stepping out of line!"

Link is surprised and confused as to why he is being treated like this. Is it not only natural to check on one's fellow soldiers during an attack? Why would these elite recruits be so offended at him for trying to help out?

As Link is about to turn and leave as ordered, one of the other recruits who had not noticed him calls out to the rest with a smirk; "Alright, they're almost here! Lock the doors now so no one gets through!"

The citizens look eagerly out to the distance to see who _'they'_ might be. _Have their rescuers arrived at last?_

But what they see is not so fortunate at all. Screams of fear ensue. For in the distant red sky, winged monsters approach from over the horizon.

Before Link can react to this unexpected turn of events, he is suddenly seized by the elite recruit who had been scolding him, a twisted smirk now across his face. "Looks like you've been here too long, boy!"

Right before Link's eyes, the supposed ' _recruit'_ shape-shifts into his true form;

Another Acheman!

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Looks like Link's swordsmanship is actually a lot more efficient than he realizes... but can it help him against that many Achemen at once?!**


	36. 4-8 The Acheman Champion

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 4: Rise of the Devastati_

 **Chapter 8** **  
** _The Acheman Champion_

Link barely has time make sense of what is happening. Not three seconds ago, he thought he was in the presence of a fellow recruit fighting to defend the castle as he is..

But now he realizes plainly that all of these elite _'recruits'_ surrounding him...are actually shape-shifting Aches in disguise!

"Your time is up, human!" hisses the Acheman before him before attacking with its weapon.

Reacting quickly, the Hylian narrowly sidesteps the incoming blow. Like his battle with the Darknuts a moment ago, time seems to slow as he unleashes a series of slash-combos in a swift counterattack.

 _*Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!*_

The Acheman is taken aback by Link's unfazed reflexes. It screeches in agony, alerting the other _'recruits'_ present.

"Watch out, boys!" calls one of them. "We've got a swordsman up here!"

Much to the surprise and horror of the trapped citizens (but no longer a surprise to Link), all of the red-garbed recruits on the rooftop with them reveal themselves to be Aches as well. Several others fly up from just below the roof and change into their dangerous Acheman forms, joining in the ambush. Link stays focused on his current foe and finishes off the Acheman that first attacked him, thrusting his sword into its chest while it is down.

But he is outnumbered greatly. The other surrounding Achemen quickly overpower and restrain him. "Kill him!" shouts one. "He's the only human here who's armed!"

"Wait!" orders a mysterious man garbed in black, halting the Achemen from landing the killing blow. "Just keep him restrained a moment longer. He'll make a perfect demonstration for what I'm about to tell the rest of these pitiful humans..."

The Achemen obediently comply. They restrain Link painfully with their claws and fangs as this mysterious man stands before the terrified crowds, perching himself upon the castle's battlements He reveals his true form: a black Acheman with red markings and a golden emblem upon his forehead. He wears an iron collar around his neck and a suit of mail armor on his torso. His soulless eyes blaze like pale fire.

"Greetings, O dumbfounded humans!" he addresses arrogantly. "I am Bloodvore: esteemed Champion of the Acheman; elite member of the Devastati; master of disguises; dark sorcerer; lord of bloodshed; slayer of more than a hundred warriors; devourer of the blood of countless enemies and allies alike_ Wait... Is that a word? _'Devour-er'._.? Well, anyway- I'm all of that...and your worst nightmare. But you can just call me by my most basic title: _Lord Bloodvore._ But what's most important for you knuckleheads to know is; _I_ am the one who will be deciding whether you live or die this very evening. So I would recommend you bow down and listen cooperatively to what I am about to tell you if you wish to live...rather than ending up like _this_ young fool."

The Achemen restraining Link hold him before the crowd for all to see. "Liiiink..!" cries one elderly woman in utmost devastation as she watches the fell creatures hold a knife to her beloved grandchild -and only surviving family- right before her very eyes.

Bloodvore halts the blow from landing. "No, not yet," he corrects the Acheman with the knife in hand. "I have a few more words before we give them the demonstration..." He turns to face the crowds once again resuming his speech; "Now, here's the deal... We, the Devastati, are claiming our place as the new rulers of Castle Town, and soon to be all of Hyrule. Those of you who wish to live must swear your alliance to us, allow yourselves to be marked with our seal of subjection, and accept your place as the slaves and property of the Devastati!"

The elite Acheman holds up an iron signet for the crowds to see. Its seal matrix blazes with a malefic force. "The seal that you will be marked with is one of magic. Once it has been seared into your flesh, you will be confined to a limited premises. If you dare to stray too far from your permitted range of designation without first receiving approval from the Devastati, the seal's power will activate, and you will be automatically struck dead on the spot!"

The crowds gasp in horror. But having so many armed Achemen surrounding them, several more monsters approaching by flight, and all contact with any real soldiers who could protect them barred, they are in no place to refuse, lest they be attacked and killed.

"And that's not all..." continues Bloodvore smugly. "Any high-ranking members of the Devastati -such as myself- hold the power to activate your seals at any given time to strike you down whenever we please -and as slowly and painfully as we please- whenever we feel the desire! So I suggest you don't do anything to displease us...or else!"

As a demonstration of his power -as well as of his personal ruthlessness- Bloodvore activates it...on one of his own Achemen!

The golden emblem on his forehead glows. The plain emblem on the forehead of the Acheman he targets resonates The lower Acheman cries out in extreme agony as its entire body withers slowly and painfully into black embers.

Link swallows a lump in his throat. If this Lord Bloodvore is so cruel as to slay one of his own -and in such a slow and painful manner- just for the sake of frightening his victims with a demonstration, how much more torturous will the next demonstration he has planned involving _him_ be?

"But of course..." continues Bloodvore, smirking with satisfaction. "As long as you bow down and obey, taking extra care never to upset the Devastati, then I don't think it will have to come to _THAT..._ Unless I get bored and just really want to listen to your cries of agony, that is. But hey, that only happens when I haven't had any other victims in awhile, so don't worry _too much_ about it..."

The crowds tremble in fear. It is obvious that opposing this Lord Bloodvore would be as disastrous as it would futile. Already none dare to provoke his merciless wrath.

"So what'll it be..?" Bloodvore asks the crowds with a sadistic glare. "It's your own choice whether you want to swear your servitude to the Devastati and be marked with our seal of subjection...or die the most slow and miserable death you can imagine. Of course, I'm fine either way. I always did enjoy the pleasure of swatting down rebellion and lapping up the spilled blood of those who resist me. But given that we have reinforcements arriving by air as we speak, and that you're all trapped up here with no weapons to defend yourselves and no soldiers to aid you... Well, I should think it goes without saying that any attempt at resistance probably wouldn't be within your best interest... Unless, of course, you _want_ to end like _this_ unfortunate brat who is about to pay the ultimate price for his stupidity..!"

The Acheman Champion holds out his hand as he faces Link, causing dark smoke to form in his palm out of nowhere before instantaneously materializing into a scimitar shaped to resemble a bat-wing. It is colored completely black but with a magical ruby as red as blood embedded into its center.

With maniacal glee, Lord Bloodvore holds his Batwing Scimitar to Link's face, intending to slice the poor Hylian a little bit at a time to deliver his horrifying message to the other humans watching using as much explicit pain and bloodshed as possible. He pauses briefly to lick his chops, as if savoring the moment, before raising his blade for the first blow of his sadistic demonstration.

Link braces himself for the most painful experience in his life. He can only hope that it will not last too long before the embrace of death releases him from the extreme pain that he is about to receive.

But the blow lands not.

 _*SMACK!*_

Just before Bloodvore's blade could connect with his victim's flesh, his face is suddenly met by a stone thrown at him with great force! The Acheman Champion is knocked stupid and drops backward to the floor in a daze.

 _*Thud!*_

"That's the dumbest deal I've ever heard of!" boos a grouchy voice that sounds familiar to Link. "...And when even a _businessman_ like me says so, that's sayin' something!"

The surprised Achemen turn their attention to the individual resisting them. A stone individual whom they had failed to notice had been stationed on the rooftops...

From atop one of the nearby bastions, a mighty Goron is seated. -The very same Goron whom Link had helped with hauling the firecrackers to this very rooftop earlier today. "You guys rot worse than even that awful _meat, vegetables,_ and _cake_ garbage that they're actually serving in the buffet downstairs!" complains he while throwing rocks from his personal dinner-plate down at the Achemen in protest. "I'll have you know you'll never make _ME_ bow! That's for sure!"

"What th_?! What's a _Goron_ doing up here?!" exclaims an Acheman in surprise.

"Doesn't matter!" shouts another. "Just kill him!"

But the Goron continues to stone them with the rocks from his private feast. His strength is great, his aim is true. One by one, several Achemen are pelted with stones to the head in rapid succession.

 _*Smack! Smack! Smack!*_

Bloodvore lifts himself off the ground with a major headache. "WhOOooA... WHo diD _thAT..?"_ asks the Acheman Champion as he groggily tries to make sense of his surroundings. "OooOHh... LooK aT all thE prETty sTars aNd biRdIEs... _TwINkle, tWinkLE..._ _Coo-cOo._ "

Shaking himself out of his daze, Bloodvore comes to his senses just in time to to realize that Link is now free...and is about to bring his blade down upon the Acheman Champion's skull!

"Huh..? _Yikes!_ " In spite of the throbbing pain in his head, Bloodvore reacts quickly and vanishes into shadow, evading the fatal blow just in the nick of time.

Link's blade collides with the stone pavement. Lord Bloodvore swiftly reappears a short distance away as he regains his focus. "Ugh. My head... So _that's_ how it's going to be, eh?!" hisses the elite Acheman, looking with contempt upon the Hylian swordsman and the lone Goron resisting him. "I'll make you suffer for that, Goron!"

"Bring it on!" says the Goron fearlessly as he leaps down from the bastion he stands on, effortlessly crushing two Achemen beneath his weight upon landing. "Humans may be easy prey, but we Gorons fear no one! Going down without a fight is out of the question!"

The Batwing Scimitar Lord Bloodvore had dropped after taking a stone to the head lies on the ground, but vanishes in an instant and materializes again in its master's palm, along with another just like it in the other hand. "So be it," hisses Bloodvore to the Goron before commanding his minions. "Everyone! Attack! We'll mark these pathetic humans with the seal after all rebels are dealt with!"

Link tries to attack Lord Bloodvore again, but the surrounding Achemen are in the way. Still hopelessly outnumbered, the young swordsman is unable to do anything but defend himself from attacks all around him.

The Goron, however, seems to plow his way through the attacking Achemen with relative ease. Using his bare hands, he punches his foes faces in, snaps their necks, and rips their spears out of their hands before throwing them right back at his enemies, impaling the Achemen with their own weapons. It is obvious he is quite the skilled warrior himself.

As Link struggles to fend off two Achemen attacking him at once, they both suddenly step aside to make way as multiple fireballs from their allies are spewed at the lone Hylian soldier. His doom seems certain.

 _*Fwoom! Fwoom! Fwoom!*_

But just before the fiery projectiles reach their target, the mighty Goron jumps in the way, intercepting the flames with his fireproof body. "Not so easy to burn stone, is it?!" he taunts.

Staying close to the Goron's side, Link gets back into the fight without hesitation. With his new ally keeping his opponents' numbers at a manageable amount, he is able to put up a much better fight of his own against the Achemen. The two warriors aptly work together to fend off their surrounding foes and cover the other's back.

Bloodvore grows vexed. "Would you worthless imbeciles put some spine into it, already?!" he yells at his falling minions in frustration. "It's just _one_ Goron and a pipsqueak! How hard can that be?!"

Just then, another Acheman falls beside him. Bloodvore turns around to realize that some of the trapped guests have started collecting the weapons dropped by the fallen Achemen and are joining the fight as well. "Gah. Why can't things ever go my way..?" he grumbles.

Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Lord Bloodvore swiftly draws in closer to Link and the Goron. Charging energy into his Batwing Scimitars and making them blaze aflame with extra power. He throws both blades at the Goron in quick succession while his target is distracted fighting the others.

 _*Wham! Wham!*_

Both blades make contact. One after the next. The Goron is knocked off his feet and momentarily left open to attack. "Graaahh!" cries the stone warrior in pain.

Bloodvore's scimitars vanish and reappear in his hands once again. He rushes upon his prey with great speed, ready to kill while his target is down.

"I've got you now!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Cut you off right in the middle of a battle again, din't I? LOL Anyhow, Bloodvore is the first of the Devastati's champion monsters to be identified. There will be many more like him, and each far more competent than any regular foe. I'll try to draw every one of them and post it to DeviantArt, Twitter, and/or Google+ for readers to have a visual concept of these original characters. Just search the hashtag "#lozTriSpirit" on any of those sites if you want to see those that have been uploaded so far.**


	37. 4-9 The Evening-Finale

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 4: Rise of the Devastati_

 **Chapter 9  
** _The Evening-Finale_

"I've got you now!"

The Acheman Champion's words ring out as he rushes upon the Goron, ready to end the stone warrior's life while the latter is down.

Link reacts quickly, intercepting the onslaught himself to protect his ally. He tries to fight Bloodvore, but this champion proves to be far more formidable than any Acheman the young Hylian has faced yet, with speed and precision beyond what Link can match. "Foolish boy!" says the fiend, fighting back against the Hylian. "You're no match for me!"

Bloodvore's words prove true. Though Link blocks and parries his attacks to the best of his ability, the cunning Acheman Champion counters most deviously by vanishing and reappearing behind the young Hylian, striking him in the backside.

 _*Slash!*_

Link falls forward after taking the blow. Bloodvore vanishes and reappears once again before Link and strikes him yet again, hitting him midfall and knocking him aside.

 _*Wham!*_

Link hits the floor with great pain. His life-force is too low to protect him from another blow.

Lord Bloodvore lunges forward for the killing blow. "Your blood is my refreshment!" he exclaims as he leaps upon the weakened Hylian with sadistic glee.

But before the blow can land...

 _*POW!*_

The Goron regains his footing. He interrupts Bloodvore's deathblow with a mighty punch to the Acheman's face! "...And your face is my punching bag!" shouts the stone warrior.

Bloodvore quickly retaliates with an earsplitting screech that momentarily puts all standing nearby into a trance-like daze. He swiftly follows up with a flurry of combo attacks against the Goron, knocking the stone warrior to the edge of the wall. A few Hylians try to interfere, but Bloodvore spins around spewing fire to keep them all at bay.

The Goron regathers himself. He looks up to the wooden flagpole displaying a Hyrulean banner, which is now engulfed in Bloodvore's flames. Thinking quickly, he grips the flagpole in one hand and karate-chops it with the other, splitting the pole at its base and bringing it down.

 _*Crack!*_

As several Achemen close in on him, the Goron uses his superhuman strength to lift the heavy pole and swing it at his attackers as a fiery weapon. "GORO-O-O-O-O!" he shouts in a battlecry.

 _*Wham!*_

Achemen are sent flying from the impact. The Goron continues to bat them around left and right with his flaming pole. An unstoppable force.

Lord Bloodvore, as the cunning Acheman sorcerer he is, sees an opening. He rushes, seemingly blindly, towards the Goron in between swings with his scimitars ready to strike. But just before the stone warrior's attack hits the Acheman Champion...

 _*Poof!*_

The fiend vanishes into thin air. He reappears the next instant...

Right above the Goron's head! He drops down on his target with both Batwing Scimitars blazing strong, about to deliver a decisive blow!

Link sees the surprise attack coming down. He reacts quickly. "Watch out!" calls the Hylian as he tosses his own sword into the Acheman Champion, intercepting the assault in midair with his blade.

 _*Hack!*_

The thrown blade makes contact. Bloodvore is caught by surprise and knocked out of the air before his own assault could land. "GYAAHHH! My face! My beautiful face!"

 _*Thud!*_

Bloodvore lands flat on the ground. As he raises his head, the next thing he sees is the Goron, with a smirk upon his face, swinging his flaming pole right into him like a fiery bat.

 _*WHACK!*_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUGHHHHH!" cries the Acheman Champion as he is sent flying from the impact, crashing hard into the stone bastion. The other Achemen begin to panic to see their champion taken down.

"L-lord Bloodvore..!"

"The boss is down?!"

"No way!"

"Th-that shouldn't be possible..!"

Bloodvore groggily tries to stand. Looking around at the mighty Goron and surrounding Hylians who bested him, he realizes he may have been too careless in this fight. His life-force is too low to protect him any longer.

The Goron curls into a ball and begins to roll at high speed towards the Acheman Champion to finish him for good. "Looks like you're about to experience... a _CRUSHING_ defeat!"

But Bloodvore reacts quickly. He waves his hand over the ground, opening an escape portal from a ring of flame and shadow in the same manner that the corrupted Zora princess did moments ago. He vanishes into the portal as it closes behind him.

"Aw, bummer..." says the disappointed Goron as his target escapes.

The remaining Achemen are thrown into panic. They have never known anyone to force their esteemed champion into retreating before. They look with dread upon the surrounding Hylians fighting back using the weapons dropped by their own fallen allies, as well as the mighty Goron who himself slew more than half of their kind and even took down their feared leader. The leader whom they had all believed to be invincible.

"Did... Did the boss just... _retreat_..?!"

"Lord Bloodvore is unbeatable! How does this happen?!"

"Well, if _HE'S_ not sticking around, neither am I!"

"Let's get outta here!"

All surviving Achemen change into their Ache forms and fly away in fear. Victory has been won for the Hylians and the Goron!

Momentarily, that is...

 _"Don't celebrate so soon, you arrogant fools!"_ the voice of Lord Bloodvore echoes following his disappearance. _"You haven't won! You have merely stalled the inevitable and brought grave disaster upon yourselves! Look around you. You are still trapped up there on the castle's rooftops with no way down, and our stronger allies approach by air even now! And because you have chosen to resist instead of simply swearing your alliance to the Devastati and allowing yourselves to be marked with our seal of subjection when you had the chance, not one of you will be spared once they arrive! -Which should be less than another minute now..."_

True to Bloodvore's words, the winged monsters approaching from the distance are no longer so distant. They are nearly upon the castle now.

Link pants heavily as he recollects his sword. "Link..!" his worried grandmother says to him. "Are you okay? Those monsters didn't harm you too bad, did they..?!"

He looks to her lovingly, relieved to see that she is unharmed. He opens his mouth to say something...

Only to end up gasping for air. He is too worn out to speak.

His grandmother embraces him. "You... You fought so hard..." she says with tears in her eyes. "I'm so proud of you..."

Still he has no time to rest. He looks off toward the horizon. Several monsters armed and ready for combat are flying in from the red sky carried by Kargaroks: bird-like monsters of incredible size and strength.

Exhausted, dehydrated, and drenched head to toe in sweat, Link has not the energy to fight any longer. He has already suffered too much damage by the hand of Lord Bloodvore. His life-force has run dangerously low.

But the doors are locked tight. There is no safe way down from the roof. Everyone is trapped.

Or so it seems to the humans...

Acting fast, the Goron begins to punch at the locked door leading back into the castle with his bare fists. Blow after blow, the wooden door begins to dent inward from the impact.

 _*Wham! Wham! Wham! CRACK!*_

Throwing all his weight into it at once, the Goron tackles the door with such force that it splits right open! The path back through the caste is unbarred!

"(Pah! That was insultingly easy!)" thinks the Goron as he knocks the door down. "(Humans build some of the weakest doors of all! How's _that_ supposed to keep intruders out?!)"

He turns to look at Link. "You!" he orders. "Get these puny people out to safety! _I'll_ deal with things up here!"

For a brief instant, Link feels shocked and overwhelmed to be abruptly thrown in charge of the safety of all these people. But he quickly remembers that he is the closest thing to an official soldier to be present up here at the moment. Refusing is not an option.

"Y-yes, sir!" replies he after having barely caught his breath, still shaking with fatigue. "Uh... Th-thanks...for the help..."

" _Humph!_ Stow it!" scoffs the Goron indignantly. "If you humans weren't such wimpy creatures, I wouldn't have to be here fighting your battles for you in the first place!"

 _Still as grumpy as ever yet..._

It is obvious this Goron is not the friendliest of his kind, and he seems to bear quite the low opinion towards humans. Still, for as rude as this Goron may be, Link is eternally grateful to have had such a formidable ally fight beside him just now. He owes his very life to this Goron's assistance.

Of course, with how contemptuous he seems to feel toward humans, it is best just to let the Goron be without another word.

Besides, the other guests are all counting on Link to lead them to safety, and so to safety he must lead them. "Th-this way, everyone!" says the young recruit, hoping he does not sound as out-of-place as he feels right now.

As the humans flee back through the castle, the Goron rushes back to his firework-stand and whips down the tent that had been shielding his firecrackers from the sun.

Lighting a torch, he positions himself behind the firecrackers that he had previously set up in advance for the evening-finale and points them towards the approaching enemies. "It's still a bit early for the evening-finale..." he mutters with a smirk. "But it's time to put these babies to good use!"

There are at least two dozen Kargaroks quickly approaching the castle, each carrying a monster soldier in their talons to drop onto the rooftops.

The Goron lights the firecrackers, sending the explosive rockets flying straight towards the fell beasts.

 _*Wsssssssssssshhhhhwww! KA-BOOM!*_

Fireworks explode. The burned and startled Kargaroks begin to drop the monsters whom they were transporting while still in midair, accidentally sending them plummeting to their deaths before they could even reach the castle.

"Ha! That's right!" shouts the Goron victoriously as he continues to shoot down the approaching enemies with his fireworks. "Humans may be easy prey, but you gotta think _twice_ before messing with a _Goron!_ "

An unimpressed voice speaks out tauntingly from behind; "Big talk coming from someone who still needed the help from a human _runt_..."

 _Huh?_

The Goron turns around. In the shadows behind him stands a young human, appearing to be in his early to mid-twenties, garbed in a brown tunic and a caped, black hood. In spite of the ongoing mayhem, the mysterious lad seems oddly relaxed. He calmly leans against the stone wall with an arrogant composure as if completely unconcerned about the Devastati's attack.

 _How long has he been standing there?_

"Hey! Get outta here, you stupid kid!" scolds the Goron. "Can't you see I'm trying to fight a battle here?! Hurry up and follow the rest of your kind out while you still can if you know what's best for you!"

The mysterious lad raises his head, revealing his face. He has pointed ears, red eyes, and white hair, suggesting that he may be a Sheikah. However, his skin color seems too light for one, so perhaps not a full-blooded Sheikah. Around his right eye is a red tattoo consisting of one talon-shaped mark above the eye and three below it, giving the appearance of a bird's footprint over his eye.

"Not to be rude..." the lad says with an arrogant smirk. "But I don't take orders from _anyone..._ Especially not from some old-timer who _thinks_ he actually knows whats _'best'_ for me..!"

" _Humph!_ Whatever..." scoffs the Goron as he resumes shooting down his airborne enemies. "It's no chip off _my_ back if you get yourself killed! I couldn't care less."

"So tell me..." says the lad. "Who was that lone recruit who fought beside you just now..?"

"What..?" asks the Goron in between shots.

"That _RECRUIT!_ " repeats the lad impatiently. "You know; the shrimp in green who just saved you when that Lord Bloodvore was about to land his deathblow!"

The Goron grows offended by these words. "Whoa there! That wimp did _NOT_ save me! I could have taken down that Acheman Champion just as well without his help! Besides, I saved _him_ first, didn't I?!"

"Whatever..." says the lad with an eye-roll. "But either way, you didn't answer my question... Who. Is. He?!"

" _Humph!_ How should I know? I've never seen him before!" scoffs the Goron as he turns back to resume the battle. "Now get lost! You're distracting me! I need to focus on shooting down these punks before they reach_!"

 _*Thud!*_

"Bah! Too late..."

Right before the Goron, one exceptionally large Kargarok, nearly twice the size of the others, lands perched upon the castletops. Upon its back sits a human rider with long black-hair tied into a ponytail and fierce red eyes. "So _you're_ the one responsible for this setback..." says he, looking upon the Goron with contempt. "Wait_ I believe we've met before..."

The Goron looks to the Kargarok rider with recognition. He knows this man.

"Crow..!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Two new characters not present in the original edition make their debut in this chapter. Details will come as the story goes on...**


	38. 4-10 The End of a Legend

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 4: Rise of the Devastati_

 **Chapter 10** **  
** _The End of a Legend_

"Crow..!" says the Goron warrior, more spite in his voice than surprise, as he looks with recognition upon the great Kargarok rider. "I might have known..."

Crow looks around the empty castletops, taking in all the signs of the recent battle that had enabled the captives their chance to escape. "I see your interference has thwarted our attempts to make quick negotiations..." he remarks indifferently. "Impressive feat, I must admit. But this still remains only a minor setback to our master plan. Your actions will make not a difference in the end... Although...I never did suspect _you_ would be one to care about the lives of common humans."

"Bah! What happens to those pipsqueaks isn't my problem!" scoffs the Goron indignantly. "But we Gorons take pride in our strength. When your monsters come around looking for a fight, I'll give them one!"

Crow turns his gaze down onto the mysterious lad. "And I suppose _you_ played a part in this as well. Didn't you? There were far too many Achemen for just one Goron to handle."

"Perhaps I might have if I thought it worth my time..." replies the lad smugly. "But I didn't even have to. Those pathetic losers took a beating from mere amateurs! I just sat back and watched your hilarious failure unfold by itself! One of the many..."

"If there is anything I've done that I would call a _'failure',_ it would be training you as my successor..!" retorts Crow with a scowl. "Do not forget that it was _I_ who taught you all you know. Yet you still fail to regard me with the respect that is due, you disgrace of an apprentice!"

The puzzled Goron looks back and forward between the two. "Huh? So I take it you two know each other..?"

The mysterious lad merely taunts Crow with a condescending laugh. "Like I have any need to respect an outdated old fool like you! With how great I have become by my own efforts, I no longer have any need to degrade myself as the subordinate of some obsolete old-timer holding me back. I am my own master now! And you are nothing more than an annoying memory of my past!"

"You would be wise not to taunt me," warns Crow sternly. "You may think you have grown strong, but you are not in the same league as I. You are still young, and many warriors far more experienced than yourself have met their end by my hand. Do not assume your former status makes you above my wrath."

"Wrath, _schmath!"_ mocks the lad, walking away arrogantly. "You're not worth my time, old man! I have no need to fight you."

"Then what is it that you want?" demands Crow.

"Nothing from you," responds the lad, not condescending to face his former mentor. "I just enjoy watching you fail. I find it to be a refreshing reminder of my own supremacy that I can look back upon one day once I have single-handedly succeeded where you and your entire Devastati had failed."

"Don't be so arrogant," scoffs Crow. "The Devastati will not fail. On the contrary; we are but a moment away from succeeding in our conquest. You could never hope to acquire on your own the total supremacy that we are about to achieve."

"That's what _you_ think. Just goes to show how clueless you are," scoffs the arrogant lad as he stands atop the castle's battlements overlooking a long drop down. "Oh, but speaking of _'conquests'_ , perhaps I should tell you; I believe yet another one of your former ' _conquests'_ may have come back to haunt you today... Oh, but don't worry! I'm _sure_ it won't get far! After all...nothing that sprouts from _your_ root is likely to last long!"

Crow raises a brow. "And just _what_ are you referring to?"

The lad flashes a condescending smirk. "That's for me to know and you to ponder. Yet another example of how clueless you really are. But I grow bored of this conversation... Good luck on your _'ultimate conquest'..._ You're going to need it!"

With another condescending laugh, the mysterious lad casually lets himself fall over the side of castle, much to the surprise of the Goron, who wonders how a human plans to survive the drop.

"So, uh... Who's the boy?" asks the Goron.

"Nothing more than a lost cause..." responds Crow grimly, turning back to the Goron. "Not unlike yourself. If you truly valued power, you would have offered yours to the Devastati and partaken in our victory instead of in our enemies' defeat..!"

The Goron is surrounded by six Moblins carried in by Kargaroks; the few who survived his firework attack.

He remains unperturbed. "You want to see power? I'll show you power!" He picks up the burning flagpole from before, ready to fight off the surrounding enemies single-handed.

As the Moblins come upon the Goron, a golden emblem on Crow's arm, identical to the one on Bloodvore's forehead, suddenly begins to glow.

Crow closes his eyes in concentration. "Yes, Master? What is it..?" he mutters, as if in response to some telepathic message that only he can hear. "...No, my lord. I am afraid the Achemen had been thwarted before I arrived. ... Yes, the captives have already escaped... ... I see... ... Very well. I will depart immediately. ... As you wish, Master..."

Coming out of his trance-like state, Crow turns back to the Goron again. "It appears I haven't the time to deal with you. But I believe my servants should provide all the company you need for these last moments of your life..."

"Don't be so cocky!" scoffs the Goron as he knocks a Moblin over the castle wall, sending it plummeting to its death. "You should know I've fought tougher battles than this! These pushovers have got nothing on me!"

"Those _pushovers_ are not the threat you should be worried about..." says Crow calmly before transforming into a crow _(ironic?)_ and flying away, leaving his giant Kargarok steed behind.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean..?" questions the Goron as he continues to fight.

* * *

Led by a lone recruit garbed in green, guests run through the castle in flight. Under Link's leadership, those bearing the weapons of their fallen enemies from the rooftops follow at either the front or the back of the line, positioned to help fend off any enemies they may encounter on the way down.

Fortunately, the monsters' numbers seem to have already reduced very significantly. The Hyrulean Unit has eliminated many of their foes, and the few that remain are too occupied fighting with the guards to target the citizens.

Come to think of it; the Hyrulean unit does seem to hold an unfair advantage in numbers against the monsters...

Almost suspiciously so...

Even if no one was expecting the attack, only some forty or fifty paintings were donated this day, which may seem like a lot, but since each only depicted about one monster or two, that certainly is nowhere near enough of an army to overthrow the entire Hyrulean unit.

Link can see the ongoing battle between the wizard and the soldiers as he leads the citizens through the castle. The wizard and his three Arch Wizzrobes use their combined magic to toss Hylian soldiers around and/or turn them to stone left and right as their own underlings fall.

But with the Hyrulean Unit's great advantage in numbers, it is obvious that the evil sorcerers' magic will run out much sooner than the number of swordsmen will.

Did that evil wizard really overestimate his element of surprise so terribly as to expect it to be enough to win a battle with such a small army? It should have been obvious that taking Hyrule Castle by force with such a disadvantage in numbers would be futile. So why would a wizard so clever as he put so much careful planning into such an obviously foolish attack?

Something else also catches Link's eye...

Across the halls on the ground floor, he sees the Zora princess from before. Her rod in hand, she flees the pursuit of three Hylian soldiers while clutching her now-bleeding arm in pain. She is wounded.

 _"Hydros!"_ she yells as she comes to a wall, summoning a column of water that she stands upon for elevation to lift her to the window, which she promptly smashes in with her rod. "You stupid Hylians!" she yells back to her pursuers, tears of frustration falling from her eyes. "You'll regret turning on me!"

"Stop her!" shout the pursuing soldiers. "Catch that traitor!" "Don't let her escape!"

But they are too late. She jumps through the broken window, escaping outside. The column of water behind her dies down immediately after, preventing her from being followed.

Link knows not what harmful thing it was that she had been assigned to do after the wizard had dismissed her, but thankfully, it appears she was likely not successful.

Though in truth, Link cannot help but pity her somewhat. Despite all the harm she has done, seeing her in so much pain like that still makes it impossible for him not to feel some sense of compassion yet.

As the battle between the soldiers and the wizard rages on, and as Link continues to lead the unarmed citizens out of the castle, he hears a familiar voice call out to confront Kazama.

"Halt!" orders Sir Pent, charging in before the wizard with sword in hand. "This ends now!"

"Well, well! A one-armed swordsman!" says Kazama mockingly. "Why, you must be the famous Sir Pent I've heard so much about: former slayer of dragons and the _supposed_ greatest swordsman-trainer in the land! What an honor to get to meet such a legendary knight on the battlefield... Especially when it's the very _last_ battle you'll ever fight for the Royal Guard!"

"Your time is up, Kazama!" says Sir Pent, raising his magical sword for battle.

Link watches attentively while still on the run. Sir Pent may be a swordsman of legend, and no doubt would have been the best candidate to face Kazama back in his younger days...

But can he still overcome such a powerful foe with only one arm..?

Sir Pent stands tall and mighty. Yet for as tall as he may be, even he appears short in the presence of this dastardly foe, whose height likely measures around eight feet tall and still appears even taller yet due to levitating in the air.

The two stand off against each other; knight of legend against deranged wizard; sword and scepter both raised for battle and radiating with intense magical power.

The battle commences.

An aura like blue flames surrounds Sir Pent. He lets out a determined warcry like the roar of the dragons he once slew as he charges his blazing sword to attack.

But before a blow can be made, Kazama projects a magic-attack.

 _*Bzzam!*_

It hits Sir Pent.

There is a blinding flash. Sir Pent cries out in agony.

"AAAUUURGGHHH!"

When the blazing light dies down, not a trace of the legendary soldier can be seen. All that remains is a charred crater where he once stood.

"...And so ends another legend," says Kazama with a satisfied smirk.

Link gapes in horror as he watches Sir Pent's end happen right before his very eyes.

Once a proud soldier, now completely disintegrated (or rather; _vaporized_ ) without even leaving behind a corpse for burial. Every last molecule of his remains have been charred to nothing.

But now is no time to stand around idly and mourn. The young recruit still needs to make sure the guests evacuate safely from the castle while they can. With a heavy heart, he pushes on and continues to lead the people outward before any of them should have to suffer the same tragic fate.

Meanwhile, Impa, the Sheikah warrior and Zelda's attendant, has opened her eyes. After several minutes of unconsciousness, she has come to.

She witnesses Kazama's victory over Sir Pent as she tries to regather her senses. She scans her surroundings for recollection and sees Zelda held up in the air out of reach by an unseen force; horribly wounded and losing consciousness from the loss of blood, yet still alive and forced to watch the battle below her.

Great fury begins to fill the eyes of the Sheikah warrior upon seeing the torment this dastardly wizard has dared to do to the poor princess. Her beloved princess whom she has guarded as the royal attendant of since the day the latter was born; even helping Queen Amaranth make the delivery of this precious child, whom Impa has loved and cared for just like her own.

A mother's rage stirring within her, she reaches into her stash of emergency items and pulls out a life-potion, which she promptly consumes to bring herself back to fighting condition.

 _No one dares to harm Princess Zelda on Impa's watch and lives..._

* * *

Having managed to safely get all of the guests who were trapped on the rooftops back to the ground outside, Link drops to his knees in exhaustion. He is still very worn and shaken by all that has happened.

Although _most_ citizens did manage to evacuate safely, and Link did successfully rescue all of those whom the Aches had led to their ambush on the roof, but there were still many innocent lives lost this evening...

Including that of Sir Pent, as well as several other swordsmen and unarmed citizens alike.

This was supposed to be a day of celebration, but it instead became a day of great tragedy...

Still, it is far from over. Link will have to keep fighting, but first he will need to restore his lost energy. Fortunately, he has the opportunity to do just that; healers have been called upon and stationed outside the castle to treat wounded and weary soldiers. Potions and supplies are being freely handed out to all in need of them. Even the wounded soldier whom Link had rescued from the Gohma earlier has already been treated with a life-potion and is on his way back into the castle to rejoin to the fight.

With his own life-force critically low and his stamina depleted, Link is quickly treated to potions to replenish both. They taste unspeakably awful, but they get the job done. Link can feel his vitality returning to him by the second.

His energy recovering at miraculous speed thanks to the potions he was given, Link takes a moment to refill his quiver with arrows from the castle's weapon supply and apply a new string to fix his bow.

A frantic scream suddenly calls from within the castle;

"WATCH OUT! THERE HE GOES!"

Link turns around and is struck with absolute dread at what he sees galloping its way out of the castle, effortlessly knocking aside several guards as it charges through with a fearsome roar.

 _*Gallop! Gallop! Gallop!*_

It is none other than one of the most dangerous monsters known to all of Hyrule; so ferocious that it was able to strike fear into Link's heart even while still a painting;

The Lynel.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!** **You know something? I think I may have really outdone myself this time... I just managed to fit, not one, not two, but THREE different cliffhangers to torment you with in just a single chapter! Am I cruel or what? Mwahahaha!**

 **Anyhow, many question arise here; Who is this mysterious Crow character? And what of this rebellious apprentice of his? Why is the latter so curious about Link? And what was he hinting at with those last words to taunt his former master? Only time will tell...**

 **(Oh, yeah, and I almost forgot; R.I.P. Sir Pent... You shall be remembered...despite the fact that I almost forgot to...)**


	39. 4-11 Impa's Final Gambit

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 4: Rise of the Devastati_

 **Chapter 11** **  
** _Impa's Final Gambit_

Outside the castle, as guests flee, guards cover their escape, and wounded soldiers are treated; the dreaded man-beast Lynel gallops its way pass the guards, effortlessly striking them down and knocking them aside without slowing in its charge. Its mighty hooves beat like thunder.

 _*Gallop! Gallop! Gallop!*_

"Someone! Stop that Lynel..!" one of the guards wounded by the rampaging beast frantically calls out. "He's getting away with the scroll..!"

 _Scroll..?_

Link knows not what this scroll is, but he can see it clutched within the Lynel's hand as it storms by. Whatever it is, the guards seem pretty desperate to get it back. It must be of great importance.

Link prepares to ready his bow with an arrow from his freshly-filled quiver, intending to aim for the Lynel as it passes...

But he has not the time. The Lynel is upon him too soon. The young recruit quickly leaps to the side and hits the dirt, just narrowly avoiding having his head cut off by the passing Lynel's blade.

By the time Link returns to his feet, the charging Lynel is already out of range. He missed his chance.

Guards try to pursue the escaping man-beast, but they are quickly outran by the four-legged fiend. No human could ever hope to keep up with a Lynel on foot.

"It's too late!" says a guard. "We'll never catch him now!"

"Get to the stables!" orders another. "We'll need a horse to catch that beast!"

"Uh, about that..." says yet another guard, pointing to the stables. "I'm afraid the monsters may have beat us to it..!"

"What..?!"

Sure enough, the stables are being raided! Horses and asses hijacked by Bokoblins come stampeding out, forced into submission by their new riders!

"Gah! Is it ever going to end?!" cries out a guard in frustration.

"Cut them off at the pass!" orders another. "Don't let them escape with those steeds!"

As guards rush to defend the stables and take back the stolen animals, one stubborn Clydesdale who is not at all accepting of her new _'masters'_ catches Link's eye...

 _Epona..!_

The wild mare, with two Bokoblins trying frantically to pin her down, furiously charges through the chaos, tossing her captors off her back while neighing aloud in rage.

One helpless Bokoblin is thrown to the ground and quickly taught how it feels to be a pancake upon being mercilessly trampled to death beneath Epona's hooves. The other is thrown into a nearby manure wagon, which tips over and dumps its contents on the unfortunate fiend, burying it in the most miserable grave imaginable for it to perish within.

 _*Splut!*_

Having shown her late captors the dangers of trying to control a rowdy horse, Epona begins to chase down other Bokoblins who dare try to approach her. She ceases her rampage only at the sound of a familiar voice calling out to her.

"Epona! Come here, girl..!" calls Link gently.

Recognizing her Hylian friend -and the only person other than Malon whom she truly trusts- the furious mare calms down and runs to Link's side. His very presence brings her a sense of security.

Link strokes Epona gently as he mounts her back. With the other guards occupied and all other steeds currently taken captive, he realizes at once that the two of them are the only hope for catching that escaping Lynel. Before granting himself a moment to think, he finds himself riding after the dastardly man-beast from atop Epona's back.

 _*Gallop! Gallop! Gallop!*_

The Lynel is fast and already has a strong head start, but Epona is much faster than your average horse. Before long, their target is in view once again. Epona gains steady ground with each stride.

"(Wait a second! What am I doing?!)" Link thinks to himself as they chase the Lynel across the drawbridge. "(Riding into battle on a horse that isn't mine, which I borrowed without permission, against one of the most dangerous monsters in the world?! Am I out of my mind?! I'm just a rookie! This is out of my league! Talk about the stupidest thing I've ever done! Sure, I took some crazy risks earlier; standing up to a giant Gohma as it's about to fire, or jumping from a falling chandelier. But that was because people were in danger and I had no other choice! I could have just let this Lynel go; why am I risking both mine and Epona's lives over a stupid scroll?! This is NOT a risk worth taking!)"

As they continue to gain ground, Link debates in his mind whether he should carry through with this recklessly dangerous mission or just stop and turn around while he and Epona are still alive. But then again, perhaps that stolen scroll holds a secret greater than he can comprehend...

And if that evil wizard would entrust a Lynel -one of the most fearsome monsters in Hyrule- to be the one to retrieve it, then he obviously has great use for it for his nefarious deeds. If that should be the case, then letting it fall into the hands of villains just might be more catastrophic than Link is aware.

 _Whatever this scroll is...it MUST be retrieved._

* * *

Within the castle, multiple soldiers try to attack Kazama, hoping to both avenge their fallen commander and free their princess.

But their efforts are futile. They are rapidly thrown aside or turned to stone by either Kazama's magic or that of his three Arch Wizzrobe underlings before they can even get close enough to land a blow.

"I believe we've been here long enough," says Kazama as he turns towards Princess Zelda. "It appears this is where we part ways..."

Princess Zelda is lowered closer to ground level once more, still suspended in the air by Kazama's telekinesis, but brought face-to-face with the evil wizard as he speaks his final mocking words to her;

"I must thank you once more for allowing me here this evening, Princess. I do hope the front-row view I have granted you has enabled you to thoroughly take in all there is to see of my most grand performance. But alas, all good things must come to an end... And I believe it's time for you to meet yours!"

She looks to her tormentor with despairing eyes. Exhausted and nauseated from the loss of blood she has suffered, and feeling as if her heart has been ripped from her chest and slowly shredded to pieces by all the pain and torture she was forced to watch befall her family and people, she has awaited this moment since the raid on the castle began...

The moment when her life would finally be taken from her and end this torment at last.

"Farewell, Princess..." says Kazama with a twisted smile, raising his scepter to prepare a magic-attack that will end the princess's life. "Your folly...shall be forever remembered."

The evil wizard brings down his rod to project the attack. But just before the blow is executed...

 _*Poof!*_

An orange puff of smoke appears in midair between him and Princess Zelda. From it, a revitalized Impa emerges; her life-force sufficiently restored from the potion she drank; the remains of her naginata in hand, now wielding it more like a sword rather than a polearm due to its current condition; she catches the wizard by surprise, striking him in the face.

 _*Slash!*_

Kazama is knocked backwards to the floor. His interrupted magic-attack is misfired and sent blasting aimlessly toward the wall. A crater is left where the projectile hit.

Impa catches Zelda under her arm as she drops back to the ground, landing skillfully on her feet.

"Impa..?" says Zelda weakly as she looks upon her rescuer's face with blurred vision, unsure if anything is even real anymore.

Impa says nothing. She simply smiles down at the princess, a motherly tenderness in her eyes, as she gently sets her down and hands her the remaining half of her own life-potion to help recover her strength. The Sheikah warrior then turns her gaze back to Kazama again, the burning fury instantly returning to her scarlet eyes as they lock onto the evil wizard.

Kazama comes out of his daze and rises. "Gah! What in the world?!" He opens his eyes to see Impa lunging at him with her naginata blade in hand. Reacting quickly, the wizard vanishes into another puff of black-and-white smoke, narrowly evading the blow just before it collides.

Knowing her enemy's strategy by now, Impa immediately jumps to the side without wasting any time looking around to see where he reappeared to. She already has a good guess...

 _*Ka-ZAM!*_

As she predicted, a magic-attack projected at her from behind collides with the ground where she just was. She reacted just in time to evade the counterattack.

"And what's this? Is the royal guard dog still living?" says Kazama as Impa evades his attack. "Well, that shouldn't be too hard to put a change to at all..."

With a snap of his fingers, the wizard summons multiple monsters to his aid. They appear suddenly from puffs of smoke and surround Impa with their weapons in hand.

The Sheikah warrior remains unfazed. A red-orange energy forming in her hand, she thrusts her fist to the floor and summons the terrible power of one of the most devastating spells she knows; " _Din's Fire!"_

 _*FWOOOOOOSH!*_

A swirling dome of fire surrounds her. Her enemies are engulfed in flames and completely annihilated before they could land a single attack.

"So you know..." says Kazama, inspecting the scar on his face left by Impa's previous blow. "Very few succeed in even landing even a single blow against me... Not that the damage is ever a problem." As he speaks, the scar already begins to fade rapidly. Within seconds, it is as if it was never there. "Your skills are commendable. It isn't everyday a warrior manages to agitate me as you have... I was thinking about wrapping this up now, but perhaps I might stick around but a moment longer to repay your bravado...and make sure you suffer for it!"

"Save your breath while you still have it, Kazama!" says Impa, lunging forward to attack.

"Feisty, aren't we!" says Kazama as he vanishes to evade the blow again. As he reappears, the wizard uses his telekinesis to grab hold of King Roark's royal sword and takes it into his own hand. "Very well! Let's just cut to the part where I take your pathetic life!"

Realizing she will not be able to land a blow at the rate Kazama keeps teleporting whenever she comes close enough to attack, Impa quickly deduces that a change of strategy is in order. Rather than lunging forward to strike, she decides to instead wait for her enemy to make his move and counterattack when the moment presents itself.

Kazama projects a number of magic-attacks. Impa focuses on his movements and evades them all one-by-one, drawing in closer with each dodge.

As she comes in close, she vanishes and reappears before her foe. She pauses briefly, her shadow seeming to shift in direction, before she lunges forward.

Only to be met by Kazama's blade...cutting her head clear off!

 _*Slice!*_

Strangely, her body merely vanishes into shadow without leaving a corpse.

...As the real Impa strikes Kazama from behind! The one that he had cut down was a mere illusion!

"You aren't the only one who can create illusory copies of yourself..!" says Impa, stabbing Kazama in the back.

Kazama wails in pain and sends Impa flying backwards into Zelda with his magic. " _Gah!_ Y-you...insolent..!" wheezes Kazama in pain and anger. "I'll make sure you suffer dearly for this..!"

The evil wizard is in great pain. But somehow...he is not at all dying from that blow that should have been fatal.

His eyes burn with extreme fury at having been outwitted at his own game. Kazama projects another magic-attack with greater power than those before to engulf and obliterate both Impa and Zelda in one shot.

Impa reacts quickly. A blue glow emits from her palms as she raises her hands and casts a protective spell around herself and the young princess. " _Nayru's Love!"_

 _*Ka-ZAM!*_

Kazama's attack is nullified. It bounces harmlessly off the crystalline barrier that now shields his two targets.

With great frustration, the wizard repeatedly fires his magic against Impa but is unable to harm her through the barrier. After attempting a few more magic-attacks, he decides to call it quits and withdraw.

"I don't have time for this nonsense!" shouts the flustered wizard. "We already got what we came here for! There's no need to stay a minute longer! But don't think you've won! On the contrary; everything has already gone precisely according to plan! I have just one last loose end to tie, which will take but a moment, and victory belongs to the Devastati this very day!"

With those words, Kazama and his three Arch Wizzrobes vanish from Hyrule castle in an instant.

Impa drops to her knees in exhaustion. Although she failed to protect the royal family, it seems she was able to at least keep the princess safe.

For now...

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! This episode has been pretty extensive, but now we're coming to a close. Next chapter is the last of Episode 4. It's time for the showdown between Link and the rampaging Lynel!**


	40. 4-12 Lynel Chase

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 4: Rise of the Devastati_

 **Chapter 12** **  
** _Lynel Chase_

Riding on horseback, Link readies his bow as Epona catches up to the Lynel. At this range, he can now make out the mark on the man-beast's arm that he had noticed while it was still dormant in the painting;

It is the very same mark that the Achemen bore on their foreheads; the mark that has been present on some part of every monster participating in this raid; the symbol that the evil wizard donned on his outfit and has his scepter modeled after. Link knows not what it is exactly, but it is clear to him that it represents membership of whatever cult or clan that this _'Devastati'_ is (as Bloodvore and Kazama have called it).

 _*Twang!*_

The Lynel roars in pain as it takes an arrow to the back. It turns to see that it has been followed on horseback by this daring Hylian archer. Letting out a furious snarl, the dread beast inhales a breath of air and spews a blazing fireball from its mouth back at its pursuer.

 _*Fwoom!*_

Epona jerks to the side to avoid the incoming projectile. She begins to panic until Link soothes her gently and nudges her to keep going. Placing her trust her in rider, Epona presses on, regardless of the danger.

The Lynel speeds up. Epona follows in hot pursuit. Link takes aim and fires another arrow.

 _*Twang!*_

The Lynel roars once more as its leg is struck. It loses momentum and wipes out on the ground!

 _*Crash!*_

Outraged, the furious beast gets back to its feet and spews more fireballs from its mouth.

 _*Fwoom! Fwoom! Fwoom!*_

Link steers Epona to the side, evading the fireballs while firing arrows in rapid succession.

 _*Twang! Twang! Twang!*_

Several arrows make contact, but a Lynel's strong life-force does not deplete so easily. The beast's rage rises faster than its power decreases. It raises its shield to block Link's arrows and charges towards him with its sword.

Link circles Epona around. The tables turned; the pair are now running away from the Lynel as the latter gives chase. Link continues to fire backwards at their pursuer while Epona takes the lead running through the streets with the Lynel hot on her tail.

 _*Gallop! Gallop! Gallop!*_

Straining to keep up with Epona's superior speed and struggling to block Link's well-aimed arrows, the enraged Lynel spews fireballs ahead after its targets. Link swerves Epona left and right to avoid the incoming projectiles.

But he cannot steer and shoot back at the same time...

With the constant swerving causing Epona to lose momentum and Link's inability to hold their pursuer back with arrows, the ferocious Lynel is gaining ground on them. It is only a matter of seconds before it strikes its blade into Epona's backside.

Finding himself at a disadvantage and unwilling to endanger his borrowed steed any further, Link leaps from Epona's back, aiming his bow straight for the Lynel's forehead in midair. Just like his battle against the Darknuts earlier, time feels as if it has stopped as he takes aim, though he is tiring quickly in the heat of the moment.

 _*Twang!*_

 _A direct hit!_ The Lynel roars aloud in pain and wipes out. Link lands on his feet (albeit rather roughly) and draws his own sword and shield for direct combat. He attacks the man-beast with extreme prejudice while it is down.

"Hyeeahh!"

 _*Slash! Slash! Slash!*_

The Lynel lets out another roar and knocks Link away with a mighty swing. He is sent flying by the beast's sheer strength.

 _*Crash!*_

With much strain, Link pulls himself back to his feet. Although he took only a single blow, its power was so great that his life-force has already fallen critically low. Taking another blow now, even if only a small one, will surely end his life.

The Lynel rushes upon the young Hylian with its blade. It gallops ferociously towards him; eyes burning with more fury than an erupting volcano. The sound of its hooves beating against the ground is not unlike one either.

 _*Gallop! Gallop! Gallop!*_

Seeing his foe race towards him, Link recalls the incident with Epona this morning. Bracing himself for the daring moment, he stands his ground as the fearsome man-beast comes closer...

Sidestepping its incoming sword, Link throws himself towards the Lynel's midsection. He grabs hold of its waist as it comes near and swings himself onto the unprepared beast's back in the same manner he did Epona!

Except this time...his intentions are not to soothe...

Once upon the Lynels's back, he forcefully stabs the dastardly fiend with his sword.

Repeatedly.

 _*Stab! Stab! Stab!*_

The beast opens its mouth to roar aloud in pain.

But what comes forth is not a roar, but the piercing blade that penetrates through the back of the monster's head and out its gaping mouth.

For but a moment, the Lynel stands lifelessly in place. The wind blows.

The once-fearsome man-beast keels over. It hits the ground.

Dead.

 _*Thud!*_

Pulling his sword from the fallen beast's head as the carcass begins to wither into black embers, Link drops to the ground. He is panting hard and dripping with sweat. Epona comes to his side. She nudges him gently, making sure he is okay. "Good girl, Epona..." whispers the exhausted Hylian as he gently strokes his companion's mane. "We...beat him."

Getting back to his feet after having caught his breath, Link collects the stolen scroll he had pursued this Lynel for. It is colored a dark grey with intricate purple patterns that shape an eye-like design in the back. Much to his horror, he finds that one of his arrows had pierced the scroll when he was fighting the runaway beast that stole it!

"(Uh-oh...)" he thinks to himself. "(I sure hope this is fixable!)" While inspecting the strange artifact to see how badly he may have damaged it, he examines its contents, curious about just what this scroll holds to make it so important that the evil wizard would task this Lynel with retrieving it. He is shocked at what he finds written on it;

Absolutely nothing!

"(That...makes no sense...)" he thinks to himself. "(Why in the world would they make such a fuss over a blank scroll? Well, whatever. I guess my job here is done at least... I better get this back to the castle...regardless of its condition.)"

Mounting Epona once more, the young recruit rides back to the castle again. The battle is not over yet.

Unbeknownst to Link, he is being watched...

Standing atop a flagpole, completely unconcerned for the ongoing battle in the castle nearby, the mysterious lad from the rooftops with the bird's foot tattoo on his eye observes Link's triumph. "Huh... So that twerp actually did it," he mutters to himself. "Meh. Whatever..."

Behind the lad, a pair of Aches suddenly swoop down to attack him. His position makes him an easy target.

Or so they think...

 _*Slice!*_

Without any concern, he swiftly draws his katana and casually cuts both Aches in two in a single stroke! His calm gaze remains on the young Hylian whose skill he evaluates; "He won't last long..."

Concluding his evaluation, the mysterious lad sheathes his blade and drops freely from his flagpole roost. Taking the form of a bird -just as his former master had demonstrated before- he flies off into the dusk sky.

* * *

On the way back into the castlegrounds, an Ache swoops aggressively into Epona's face...spooking her with Link on her back! "Whoa..!" calls Link as he is thrown off and hits the ground, dropping his sword and shield.

 _*Thud!*_

As he weakly pulls himself back to his feet, the offending Ache shapeshifts into its Acheman form. " _Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-ACHEMAN_!" it sings tauntingly upon landing before him.

 _This is the worst possible timing..._

His life-force too low to protect him; his sword and shield momentarily out of reach; Link is in no condition to defend himself now. He is in desperate need of a life-potion before he can fight again.

The Acheman's eyes lock onto him with a hateful scowl. " _You!_ You're the one that just killed my brother back there on the rooftops!"

"Uh..? Sorry..." apologizes Link awkwardly, though feeling some genuine pity for the monsters that he has had to kill.

"Well, ' _sorry'_ doesn't fix it, punk!" scolds the Acheman. "Don't you realize what a loss you've caused me to have to suffer..?! He still owed me _five_ rupees! How's he supposed to pay me back _now?!"_

Suddenly, Link does not feel _quite_ as sympathetic as he did just a few seconds ago...

"I'll avenge my wallet here and now!" exclaims the enraged Acheman. "Prepare to taste _death_ , you worthless heap of_! Wait... Why do I suddenly get the feeling that something really big and heavy is about to fall on my head and crush me like a bug..?"

Just as the Acheman says this, a Kargarok descends forcefully to the ground, wrestled by the Goron from the rooftops with his bare hands and dragged down by the weight.

 _*Crash!*_

Link jumps out of the way as they hit the ground...landing directly on the Acheman that was about to attack. The fiend is crushed like a bug.

"Ohh... So _that's_ why..." wheezes the now-flattened Acheman with its last breath.

Having used the defeated Kargarok to break his fall, the Goron is unscathed. " _Ha!_ That's what happens when you pick a fight with a _Goron_!" he exclaims victoriously as he beats his chest in triumph before getting up and leaving Hyrule Castle behind him.

"(Whoa... That Goron is seriously _tough!)"_ thinks Link to himself as he watches in awe, feeling somewhat intimidated by the sight of the Goron's sheer strength. "(Just imagine if the Goron tribe had accepted Princess Zelda's invitation and attended the ceremony! Having more of them on our side today would have really made this whole battle so much easier! I wonder what brings this one to Castle Town, anyhow..?)"

 _*Flap...*_

Something catches Link's eye; a piece of paper, seemingly dropped by the mysterious Goron warrior, descends slowly to the ground. Link tries to call out to inform the Goron that he dropped it, but the latter is already gone.

Curious, the young Hylian inspects the paper. It is a wanted poster. It depicts another Goron, darker-shinned than the one who was just here, wearing a demon-mask. It reads as follows:

 _"WANTED: The 'Rock Rogue'_

 _True name and whereabouts currently unknown. Responsible for multiple cases of theft and murder, and is known to have partaken in at least 14 different heists. Reported to always wear a distinct, red mask during operations. Is known to wield sorcery and a variety of physical weapons, including explosives, but is most frequently reported using a Goron hammer. Formerly operated in the company of a gang of bandits, but has been reported be be operating solo in more recent crimes._

 _Very dangerous. If come into contact with, do NOT approach. Any learned information regarding identity or whereabouts should be reported to authorities immediately. 50,000 rupee reward offered for apprehension. Wanted dead or alive."_

"(Is this what brings that Goron so far from Death Mountain..?)" Link thinks to himself. "(Is he some sort of undercover bounty hunter trying to apprehend this outlaw who turned against his people? I guess that would explain where his superb fighting-skills come from... But, boy, am I ever glad he's on _our_ side! I sure would hate to be his enemy..!)"

But it appears that the Goron had gotten down from the rooftops just in the nick of time...

Just a brief moment later, before Link can return to the castle with the scroll he retrieved, Kazama and the three Arch Wizzrobes appear above of the castle, one standing at each of the four corners of the building, performing some sort of magic spell.

"We're done here!" declairs Kazama. "Now that we have all of Hyrule's swordsmen where we want them, it's time to trap them all in one place!"

Kazama and the Arch Wizzrobes wave their scepters over Hyrule Castle while chanting disturbingly;

" _Tsitned lacol ruoy ta nug enihcam a morf socat gnitoohs ognimalf detapitsnoc a fo thgis eht sa_ _modnar sa ylno era sdrawkcab nettirw segassem neddih eseht..!"_

As they finish this chant, a barrier appears around Hyrule Castle, preventing anyone from getting in or out.

All of Castle Town's people of importance, as well as every experienced swordsman, are now trapped inside! The only swordsmen remaining are the lowly green-garbed recruits outside who have little experience.

 _"Hear me, all of Castle Town!"_ announces Kazama, using his magic to make his voice heard across all corners of town. _"Your king and queen have been turned to stone! The entire Hyrulean unit has been permanently sealed away, trapped within time itself, inside of Hyrule Castle! There is no one left for_ _any of you to turn to!_ _Hyrule has fallen to my master plan and now belongs to the Devastati! We are your new_ _rulers! And you are our slaves! You are to obey whatever the Devastati commands of you if you wish to live!_

 _I am Kazama of the Devastati! Your new master! As my first command for Castle Town: pledge your servitude and turn in all of your weapons immediately to the Devastati! No exceptions! Do as I say and come to the gates of what was once Hyrule Castle within the next 24 hours, where you will be marked_ _with our Seal of Subjection to label yourselves as Devastati property, as well as turn in any weapons you may have, and we may spare your pitiful lives!_

 _Anyone who does not comply will be immediately slain! Should anyone be found without the Devastati's Seal of Subjection after tomorrow; they shall be arrested at sight! And anyone caught wielding weapons or training to use them without permission from of us will be put to immediate_ _death! Along with any loved ones whom they hold dear!_

 _Again, this is Kazama, your new master, speaking to you! Several monsters of the Devastati have been stationed just outside of town and are on their way here at this very moment! Obey me at once if you_ _wish to live!_

 _For on this very evening...the Devastati has WON!"_

* * *

End of Episode 4: _Rise of the Devastati_ **  
**To be continued in Episode 5:  
 _ **Fish Out of Water**_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! And so ends another episode. This one has had a lot more battles than usual. Which was your favorite? Link and the Goron vs Lord Bloodvore? Impa vs Kazama? Link vs the Lynel? One of the others? Leave your answer in the reviews!**


	41. 5-1 Nothing Left to Fight For

~SilentN

 **The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit** _  
_ _Episode 5: Fish Out of Water_

 _Kazama has won, Castle Town has fallen to the Devastati, and as one of the very few surviving swordsmen in all of Hyrule, Link is but a fish out of water on his own. With resistance futile and nothing left to fight for, it seems his only option now is to give in to the Devastati's demands to prevent any further trouble from them. But a chance encounter by the moat may give the lone swordsman one last reason to keep fighting..._

* * *

 **Chapter 1** **  
** _Nothing left to fight for_

The Evolution of the Zora:

 _Plaguing the waters of the world since ages old and forgotten have been many monsters, great and small._ _Fishermen and sailors alike have long dealt with Octoroks, Froaks, Skullfish, Toadpoli, Water Tektites, and many other dangerous creatures of darkness known to attack anyone who comes near the waters which they inhabit. But the most notorious monsters of the deep, dreaded by all who even walk near the rivers, have long been the Zora._

 _Half man, half fish; the Zora have proven themselves a dangerous threat both on land and in the water._ _For centuries, countless battles between man and Zora have stained the rivers of Hyrule in deep blood. Fishing was dangerous work for humans, fetching a simple pail of water from the rivers was never recommended to do unarmed or unaccompanied, and the very survival of mankind was endangered by the presence of the dreaded race of fish-men._

 _However, not all Zoras were pure evil... As an advanced race of monsters, they were capable of learning. And although many used their knowledge to devise more devious ways to destroy their enemies and preserve their own reign as the tyrants of the rivers and seas, there existed some whose ability to learn led to them to developing souls and adapting a peaceful way of life._

 _As the Zora continued to spread and evolve, accounts of individuals becoming fully sentient and shedding the primordial darkness from their hearts in favor of wisdom and benevolence continued to rise. Though few, these benevolent Zora were eventually unified into a single tribe when a wise ruler rose among them who carried a special devotion to the goddess Nayru, allowing for their race to be fully civilized and at last abandon their ancestral history as monsters._

 _In time, an amicable alliance was eventually formed between man and Zora, leading t_ _he King of Hyrule to entrust the latter's tribe with district over the waters, and Zora's Domain was built at the primary source of Hyrule's rivers where the civilized Zora would hold vantage over all the waters of the land and keep them safe for both man and Zora alike to traverse without fear of lurking monsters. Thus the alliance between man and Zora became a mutually indispensable part of Hyrulean society for both races._

 _As the ages passed, more and more tribes of benevolent Zora were established not only in Hyrule but throughout the world in places such as the seas of Labrynna and on many islands across the oceans. Each tribe establishing their own culture and developing unique traits and biology; some Zora races reaching an average height of five to six feet whereas others may easily exceed eight; some living little longer than Hylians and aging at nearly the same rate while others may not reach adulthood for several decades and can live for centuries._

 _As descendants of monsters, many tribes have retained unnatural fighting capabilities, which may range from the power to discharge electricity from their bodies to hardening their fins like steel to use as shields or blades_or even boomerangs. Although the Zora have established a civilized lifestyle and few continue to train for war, these and other such traits of their primordial heritage as monsters can still be found in their anatomy to this day, which has led to them being less trusted among some humans who fear that these retained fighting capabilities still found in the modern Zora may also be accompanied by some of their ancestors' hostility remaining within their nature..._

* * *

"I called it! I _knew_ those wretched Zora were going to bring trouble!" exclaims Pompie, ever one of the most paranoid gossips in town, to Vera who stands beside her as they stand in fear of what is unfolding around them. "First their princess _viciously_ assaults Mamamu Yan right in public, then she even goes after King Roark, absolutely _terrorizes_ the public during the swordsmen tournament...and now _THIS!_ She has obviously been working with this evil cult all along! And if their own _princess_ was in on it, then there's no doubt that the rest of the Zora tribe is too! _None_ of this would be happening if those savage fish-monsters hadn't been invited to Hyrule Castle today!"

"You're absolutely right!" agrees Vera. "Did you see the way she slaughtered all those poor soldiers defending the royal family?! That _proves_ that the Zora have remained a race terrible monsters all along to this day! Now we're all doomed!"

"To think that our waters have been under the care of such a horrible race of monsters all these centuries!" laments Pompie. "I'm surprised this hadn't happened sooner! They're probably going to poison our wells now and kill off any human who hasn't been enslaved yet!"

"Everything that has happened today is solid proof that the Zora were the ones who sabotaged the Gleeok Dam those years ago and killed everyone downstream!" adds Vera. "If anyone manages to escape from all this, they should go out and spread the word of the Zora tribe's treason and gather up an army of survivors to go and slaughter every last one of those wicked fish-scoundrels before they enslave the entire human race!"

"Well, I'm not going to just sit around and let them take me hostage!" insists Pompie. "Forget that _'Seal of Subjection'!_ I'm going to flee town before they can_ _EEEEEEEEKK!"_

The two women are interrupted and thrown into panic as a Moblin of the Devastati finds them. The hulking fiend bears its teeth assertively as it holds the defenseless Hylians at spearpoint.

"Oh! Um. Like I was just saying..!" says Pompie nervously. "Let's go get our Seals of Subjection and swear our servitude to the Devastati right away!"

"Y-yes! Let's do that!" agrees Vera in panic. "We certainly wouldn't want to upset our new masters, now would we?!"

The Moblin brings its two new captives back towards the castle gates to be sealed with the rest of the new slaves the Devastati is gathering. A green-garbed Hylian boy draws his bow from around the corner to slay the overgrown hellion and free its victims.

His fingers gripping an arrow at his bowstring, a reluctant sigh soon escapes his breath as he lowers his bow again without firing.

"(What's the point anymore?)" Link thinks to himself, quietly retreating out of sight. "(It's not going to do any good at this rate... They're just going to be nabbed again by the next monster and sealed anyway whether I try to defend them or not. Shooting their current captor and causing a scene will only put them in far worse danger than submitting themselves to slavery ever would... And after getting hit so hard by that Lynel, I'm really in no condition for another fight right now anyhow.)"

Link hangs his head in despair and shame. The evil wizard has won. There is obviously no point in fighting any further.

Nor is there is even anything left to fight for.

Monsters flood rapidly into Castle Town. They hesitate not to make themselves at home, claiming as their own whatever they please. With no one left to fight for them, the citizens are defenseless against the invasion. They have no choice but to obey the Devastati's orders and allow themselves to be marked with the cursed Seal of Subjection in exchange for their lives.

Those marked lose all freedom. They are confined as slaves to the Devastati, sworn to do whatever labor is commanded of them and forbidden to leave town without official approval from their new masters, lest the cursed seal burned into their flesh should activate and strike them down to suffer a slow and painful death.

And there is nothing Link can do but surrender with the rest of them...

Returning to Epona's side, the young swordsman strokes the mighty Clydesdale's mane gently as she looks into his eyes. "We should get you back to your owners now..." he mutters quietly to his horse friend.

Leading the borrowed steed quietly though the twilight, Link makes his way back to where he last saw his grandmother evacuating. He is soon reunited with her, as well as with Talon and Malon who are in her company with some of the other escaped guests from the castle.

But their _'escape'_ was hollow. The Devastati now rules Castle Town, and all these guests who managed to evacuate from the castle are now lined up to be sealed as slaves. Though the evacuation was successful, it has made not a difference in the end.

"Epona..!" exclaims Malon with relief upon seeing Link return with her horse. "And Link! You're both okay!"

"Well, I'l be..." says Talon. "That's the second time today you've gotten our horse back for us, sonny! We thought them monsters made off with her!"

"Link..!" exclaims the young swordsman's grandmother, embracing him tearfully. "I was so worried when I didn't see you again!" She is still very shaken by all that is happening, but relieved to see that her grandson is alive and well.

Link somberly gives her a gentle pat on the back...but says nothing. He has no words after everything that has happened.

His grandmother looks to him with concern. "Link..? Are you okay?" she asks worriedly. "You fought so hard..."

"...We lost," says Link at last. "It was all for nothing..."

Now his grandmother is silent.

Talon speaks up; "There ain't no use beatin' yerself up about it... Things are gonna be tougher from now on, but at least we farmers shouldn't be affected as hard as the other townsfolk. As long as we just do whatever that wizard says, we should be fine."

"That's true," adds Link's grandmother, trying not to sound too down. "Our captors still need hands to run the farms and feed the economy, so things likely won't change _too_ much for people like us. _I am worried about the other townspeople, though..."

Link sighs in despair. It appears that they now have no choice but to give in to this Devastati if they are going to live. Life is obviously going to be much more difficult from today on, and they have no idea what lies ahead now that monsters control Hyrule, but there is nothing more that can be done at this point but to yield.

"Talon..." says Link, not raising his eyes to anyone. "Please bring my grandmother home safely with you after you've all been sealed..."

"Uh. Okay..?" responds Talon, finding Link's request somewhat unexpected. "Sure..."

"Aren't you coming too..?" asks Link's grandmother worriedly.

"I'll catch up later," answers Link, slowly walking away. "That wizard already gave the order that all weapons have to be handed over by tonight. But in the meantime..." He turns to face his grandmother somberly before continuing; "I don't want you to be seen anywhere near me... I don't trust them not to kill me after how I had initially fought back...and there's no telling what they might do to you if they learn your grandson is a swordsman..."

Her heart sinks at the sound of these words. She knows how much that sword and shield mean to Link, since they did belong to his departed father, but she also knows what this Devastati had said would happen to anyone caught retaining weapons. This is obviously a difficult sacrifice for Link to have to make.

"...You fought very well today," she says at last, hoping to give Link some small comfort. "Your parents would have been proud to see you defend the castle so valiantly as you did... Especially with your father's own sword... You have nothing to regret..."

Another Moblin begins to approach the area. Link hastily retreats out of sight before he causes anyone present to get in trouble for being seen in the presence of a swordsman. His grandmother watches worriedly as he quickly disappears into the shadows, fearing that his concerns about being turned against even after surrendering may prove true.

Malon places her hand on the elderly woman's shoulder comfortingly while holding Epona's rein with the other. "Don't worry," she whispers reassuringly. "He's very cautious. I'm sure he'll be fine."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! And so we start Episode 5. Now** **just to be clear; the _'Evolution of the Zora'_ told in the opening is only part of my own headcanon used for this story. Nintendo has never officially confirmed most of the details about Zora history, so I took some liberties of my own in writing this. You can expect this fanfic to create quite a number of unofficial backstories like this to several different subjects regarding the _Legend of Zelda_ series.**


	42. 5-2 Lurking in the Water

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 5: Fish Out of Water_

 **Chapter 2** **  
** _Lurking in the Water_

Speedily and stealthily, Link makes his way through the twilit woods outside the castlegrounds. He must find a good place to shed his weapons and uniform before receiving his Seal of Subjection, lest he give himself away as a trained swordsman and risk having this Devastati decide to strike him down as a potential threat. He may also have to discard his hat as well, since it did tend to draw a lot of attention to himself today and could be easily recognized if found in his possession.

And that could potentially be used to identify him later as the recruit who opposed Lord Bloodvore on the castletops.

Despite his initial reluctance to wear the hat this morning, he now feel greatly saddened to have to part with it; it was handmade by his mother as a gift for his father, after all. And with already being required to give up his father's sword and shield, this old hat would have become his next sentimental treasure in their place if he did not have to part with it too.

Hyrule Castle sits frozen in time, encased in a dark barrier with red, blue, and green bolts of energy encircling it eerily. The royal family and the entire Hyrulean Unit remain trapped inside.

Link is now one of few swordsmen remaining in all of Hyrule. The only others who may or may not have survived are some of the other green-garbed recruits who were outside at the moment the spell was cast around the castle.

But they are few, and no better skilled than he.

The young Hylian realizes now that this was the wizard's plan all along; why he had attacked with only a small army and on the day when all of Hyrule's swordsmen would be present to fight; it was all a distraction to lead anyone capable of opposing him into the castle so that he and his Arch Wizzrobes could cast a spell while the entire Hyrulean Unit was in one place and trap them there. And trap them he did, leaving the citizens of Hyrule with no soldiers to defend them from the Devastati's takeover.

Looking back on the events that unfolded, Link also now understands better how the monsters were able to get into the castle in the first place;

Taking advantage of the fact that so many unfamiliar faces would be present on official duty for the Royal Guard today, the Devastati deployed shapeshifting Aches to disguise themselves as recruits so they could freely infiltrate the castle in plain sight and set things in motion for an attack without raising suspicion. And because they impersonated _elite_ recruits, none of the real recruits would have stopped to question them when they saw them carrying out odd tasks, enabling the disguised Aches to sneak in reinforcements with ease and hide them in the dungeon.

This also explains why there was such an unexpectedly large number of elite recruits present, as well as why none of them could help Link when he had asked around about the shading for the Goron's firecrackers. And most disturbingly; why that one particular recruit guarding the entrance to the dungeon was so hesitant to allow Link through even after confirming that he had official permission.

And why that recruit was nowhere to be found after Link had returned...

Looking back on the moment he slew that final Acheman in the dungeon, Link recalls the dying hellion's last words;

 _'I... I...sh-should have...n-never...let...you_'_

Although he knew not what that Acheman was trying to say before perishing, nor was he too concerned about it at the time, it is all too clear now...

What the Acheman intended to say was that it should have never allowed him to enter. Its fellow Achemen had even accused it of being at fault for Link's presence as the battle was about to ensue. And what's more; the halberd wielded by that particular Acheman was the very same one that the recruit guarding the door had previously held to Link's throat when stopping him... The Acheman and the ' _recruit'_ were one and the same all along!

Link shudders at this disturbing realization that he and the others had been unwittingly patrolling alongside a swarm of monsters all day...even interacting with them on occasion. He also begins to wonder what became of his actual fellow recruits. They may not have ever been decent to him, but he still wishes no harm upon any of them and hopes for their safety.

Carefully avoiding detection, Link quickly arrives at what he deems the best place to ' _turn in'_ his equipment: the castle's moat.

Although well aware that he was required to hand his weapons over to the Devastati, he would not dream of it. These still hold a sentimental value to him and he is determined to keep them from being used for evil.

Even if it means...disposing of them entirely. For as difficult as it may be to have to dump these personal treasures in the water and leave them to rust, it is still preferable over letting the Devastati use them to shed innocent blood.

When he is certain that no one is around to see him, Link begins to remove his equipment, starting with his tunic. Having to wear multiple layers of clothing was uncomfortably warm anyhow. The white shirt he wears underneath the mail is completely soaked with sweat.

 _*Sniff...* Ew._

However, before he removes even a single piece of equipment, something drops from his belt just as he was beginning to unfasten it..

It is the damaged scroll recovered from the Lynel.

"(Oh! I almost forgot about this...)" Link thinks to himself as he picks the artifact up from the ground and inspects it once again. "(Now why in the world did the Devastati want this, anyhow? It still looks pretty blank to me... Or is this actually some sort of replica used as a decoy while the real scroll they were after is hidden elsewhere? Nonetheless, for as useless as this may seem to me, the Devastati seemed to really want it...so it's probably best that they don't get their hands on it. Maybe I ought to bury it somewhere so they won't find it just to be safe...)"

As Link silently studies the mysterious scroll, he is completely unaware that he is not as alone as he currently thinks he is...

Within Hyrule Castle's moat, just outreach of the dark barrier, two figures stake out in the water.

One is a young Zora princess, just barely old enough to be considered a legal adult, and the other is a preadolescent Zora prince. The two siblings lie hidden from view underwater, just as unaware of the presence of the quiet Hylian nearby as he is of theirs. Their conversation is as follows;

Prince Zora Jr: "Can we go yet?"

Princess Ruto: "Not yet. Now be quiet."

Junior: "When _can_ we go?"

Ruto: "When I _say_ so! So just _zip_ it and follow my every order if you expect to live!"

Junior: "Hasn't Father made it out of the castle..?"

Ruto: "Quiet! Someone will hear you!"

Junior: "We've been hiding _forever_..."

Ruto: "Are you listening to me or not?! I said; _be QUIET!"_

The princess shouts that so loudly that it alerts the green-garbed swordsman nearby to their presence...

Startled by the sudden shout, Link quickly puts away the scroll and draws his sword out of precaution. He looks around but finds no one in sight. Hearing the squabbling continue, he approaches the moat cautiously as he investigates the source of the noise. "Wh-who's there..?" calls the young swordsman timidly as he peers slowly into the water.

"Now you've done it!" scolds an agitated Princess Ruto to her brother. "Someone found us! Oh, well. I can take this punk! Stay here!"

 _*Splash!*_

Lunging swiftly from the water comes the Zora princess, like a crocodile ambushing its prey. Startled, Link is taken aback by her sudden emergence. He receives a quick blow to the forehead from her enchanted rod.

 _*Whack!*_

The helpless Hylian falls flat on his back in a daze. His sword and shield are dropped to the ground out of his grasp.

The Zora princess lands gracefully on top of him in his moment of vulnerability. Before he can make sense of what is happening, she has him pinned to the ground beneath her feet...

With the bladed end of her weapon held to his throat!

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Now Link has encountered Ruto for himself after her escape out the window, who seems to have taken her reluctant brother into her company now. What does she intend to do? Wait and see...**


	43. 5-3 The Royal Zoras

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 5: Fish Out of Water_

 **Chapter 3** **  
** _The Royal Zoras_

Water droplets drip down from the Zora princess's fins and onto Link as she stands over him, pinning him to the ground with her foot with her bladed rod to his throat. She looks down on him with great prejudice. Her eyes burning with ferocity, her pearl-white toga gleaming in the twilight like the pale moon, the jewels and metals adorning her body reflecting the radiant luminescence emitted from her weapon, she is ready to strike him dead where he lies.

 _Is this how it ends?_

The scowl on the attacking Zora's face fades. The hatred in her violet eyes has vanished and is now replaced with a look of disappointment. "Aw, never mind," says Ruto to her brother, looking down at the Hylian beneath her. "It's just a human..." She steps off of Link and lifts her weapon away from his throat.

Link lies on the ground still dazed as he tries to make sense of what just happened. His vision blurred, ears ringing, and head throbbing, his consciousness is slipping from him by the second.

"Then I hope you checked _before_ you attacked..." calls the Zora prince from inside the moat.

"Bah! He'll be fine," Princess Ruto assures, unconcerned of Link. "We have more important things to worry about."

"...You hit him without checking, didn't you?" says Prince Zora Jr.

"Oh, stop it!" the flustered princess scolds. "You speak as if I'm _reckless_ or something! How impulsive do you think I am?!"

"I'll take that as a _'yes_ '."

"I was just being cautious! These Hylians have already proven that they cannot be trusted not to attack without reason either!"

"Well, whatever... Does he need me to come up there and heal him?"

"He's _fine!_ He's getting up right now, as a matter of fact." She quickly (and roughly) yanks Link to his feet to avoid being wrong. "There! He's standing! No damage at all!" insists Ruto while holding Link up to keep him from falling with his current lack of balance. "See? He is perfectly fine." She then takes her hands of the bruised Hylian as her brother peers out from the moat so he can see him standing unsupported.

...Resulting in Link toppling to the ground from his lack of coordination.

 _*Thud!*_

The unimpressed prince stares blankly at his sister from in the water. His countenance says it all.

Ruto palms her face with an exasperated sigh. "Okay! Fine! Heal the little dork already! Just quit giving me that look!"

Junior shakes his head and lets out a sigh. _Sisters can be such a mess!_ The little prince reaches up and grips the paved shore to pull himself out of the moat.

But he is unable to scale the height. He slips back into the water with a splash. The water's surface being over two feet below ground-level, climbing out proves to be much more difficult for the little one than it is for his bigger sister. Ruto rolls her eyes and bends down to give her brother a hand.

He declines. "No. I can do this! I just need a better run at it..." He circles around and then charges forward at full speed to leap from the water as his sister had just done herself a moment ago.

 _*Splash!*_

He clears the water gracefully. With a determined leap upward, he lunges for the land and hits the pavement.

...With a crash. Once again, he falls back into the water with a splash. " _Oof!_ Okay, one more try..!"

Ruto heaves a sigh and shakes her head. _This may take awhile..._

Swimming down to the bottom of the moat, Junior charges forward again and lunges out for the land once more. Though his chest collides with the pavement, the little Zora manages to grab the earth with his hands and barely keeps himself from falling back. With much effort, he at last succeeds to pull himself to the surface and plops himself on the ground. "Got it!" he says triumphantly, raising his hand in a thumbs-up gesture.

"I'm so proud..." says Ruto dryly. "Now hurry up and heal the wretch before something else spots us."

"Right." The little prince pulls himself off the ground and kneels beside the half-conscious human lying before him. A blue glow, soothing as the calming waves of a scenic ocean, emits eerily from his palms. He holds them over the Hylian's forehead and lets the radiance shine upon the wound. "Hey! I think I saw this Hylian earlier!" he remarks while healing Link. "He was one of the first humans we passed coming in this morning."

"Hm?" Ruto illuminates her rod, casting its light over Link for a better look. "Now that you mention it, he does look familiar... Ah, yes. I recognize that hat. Come to think of it... I don't recall seeing any other recruits wearing one?"

"Me neither. Maybe he was given some kind of special rank?"

"Or maybe all the others just found their hats too dorky to wear and opted not to. I know _I_ sure wouldn't want to be seen with something as ridiculous-looking as _that_ upon my head!"

Slowly and steadily, Link's senses return to him. His wound closes, the painful throbbing in his head ceases, the aches in his body fade, and even the damage taken from his previous battle against the Lynel is soon no more. His life-force is completely restored. The blur of his vision clearing by the second, the revitalized Hylian is soon able to make out the face of the child who healed him.

As well as that of the Zora who assaulted him.

His awareness fully recovered, Link sits up with a startled jolt at the sight of the Zoras. He stares silently with eyes widened in alarm, unsure how to react and wary of the Zora princess's presence. _Did she not just execute a slaughter-spree in the castle moments ago?_

"Hello," greets the little Zora prince. "Sorry about that. Are you okay?"

Link nods awkwardly. He is still trying to comprehend the situation.

"I apologize for my sister's carelessness," says Zora Jr. "She doesn't always think to check before attacking."

"I'm not careless!" Ruto protests. "At least I made sure to only attack with the _side_ of my rod and not the _bladed_ end! I could have _killed_ him if I wanted to, but I didn't!"

"...She can actually be pretty nice during that very rare occasion when you can finally catch her in a good mood," Junior continues to Link, paying his sister no heed.

"Oh, shut it," says an unamused Ruto, shoving her little brother back into the moat.

 _*Splash!*_

Link only continues to stare, completely baffled. It is true that this Zora princess could have easily killed him -just like he had seen her intentionally do to the royal family and those soldiers trying to defend them- and yet, not only did she refrain from slaying Link just now, but she even approved for her brother to heal him.

 _What is going on?_

"You there!" addresses Ruto to Link. "The dork with the bump on his forehead! You are one of the Royal Guard's recruits, yes? Have you any information on the whereabouts of the visiting Zoras?"

Link is caught unprepared for this question. "...Huh?"

"The _Zoras!_ " shouts the annoyed princess. "Tell me what you know about the remaining Zoras!"

Her eyes stare expectantly into his as she impatiently awaits the news regarding her people's whereabouts. No longer do those eyes burn so pale and soulless as when she went berserk in the castle. Nay. They currently look once again as those same eyes that his had accidentally locked with when he first saw her come in; a vivid violet bright as coral, ever lovely to behold, but tainted with unwelcoming contempt for his kind.

Link knows not if she is allied with the Devastati or a fellow victim of theirs, but her question is one that deserves an answer, and so answer it he does.

Even if the only answer he has to offer is not much.

"I... I haven't heard anything about the Zoras..." he says with genuine sympathy. "I don't know if...they even made it out..."

She falls silent at this news. "...Wh_ What?" she says after a pause. She had assumed that at least _some_ of them would have survived.

Prince Zora Jr, trying hard to climb back out from the moat, is just as shaken to hear this. "They're...gone..?" he asks.

...Before losing his grip and slipping back into the water again.

 _*Splash!*_

The princess's breathing grows heavy as mixed emotions seize her. She realizes now that she and her brother are completely on their own, with no family or servants to guide them at all. "No..." she mutters softly before growing louder. "No. No! NO..!" She tries to hide her pain behind anger.

But it is obvious that she is fighting back tears.

"This is all Zelda's fault!" she screams in an emotional rage. "This only happened because of her stupid birthday ceremony! If she didn't go and invite trouble-making commoners into the castle, _none_ of this would be happening! I never even wanted to _be_ here! She _made_ us come! Of all the stupid things she's done, this is the absolute _worst_! I'll never forgive her for _this_ one!" She drops to her knees and begins to weep on the inside, still fighting her tears to her best effort.

There is a brief moment of silence. Link knows not what to say or do, which is nothing unusual for him.

But now is a moment where anyone else would feel the same.

Although she may not be the most pleasant person he has encountered, he cannot help but feel deep compassion for this Zora right now. He kneels down beside her. His gentle hand is placed with wordless sympathy upon her shoulder. He still knows not if she is a friend or foe, but looking her over, it is obvious she is no longer in that corrupted condition that he saw her attacking the royal family in. _She seems perfectly approachable._

Surprised by this quiet Hylian's gesture, Ruto is snapped out of her internal weeping. Her eyes widened, she looks to her sudden comforter with a silent gasp. She then reacts to his touch in a most unexpected way that catches Link with even greater surprise...

She lashes him with a magical whip from her rod.

 _*Snap!*_

"You insolent!" scolds she, springing to her feet. "Who do you think you are to be laying a hand on _royalty?!_ You are in no place to approach me without permission...much less _touch_ me! Keep your filthy hands to yourself!"

 __Make that relatively approachable..._

"Ow! S-sorry..!" Link replies remorsefully, feeling both startled and awkward by this response. His peers surely will not envy him for his encounter with _THIS_ princess!

"Sorry about my sister..." apologizes Prince Zora Jr on Ruto's behalf as he at last manages to climb back out of the moat. "She tends to get pretty huffy..."

"I'm _not_ huffy!" Ruto protests with an annoyed huff. "I just want respect to be given where respect is due! Commoners need to know their place, you know!"

Junior pays her no mind. "...But don't worry. This is _far_ from one of the worst tantrums she's thrown today."

Without another word, Ruto shoves him back into the moat.

 _*Splash!*_

"I apologize..." stutters Link timidly, trying to explain himself. "I only meant to_"

 _*Snap!*_

"Silence!" scolds Ruto, whipping him again without hearing him out. "You should know that a commoner like you is not permitted to speak unless spoken to! How many times must you disgrace me with your uncivilized behaviour, you arrogant human?! Now tell me; where can I find an official of this castle? Even just a soldier will do."

Link is afraid to speak. He had just been whipped for that, after all.

"I asked you a question!" yells the princess. "Answer me!"

"Uh..." stutters Link. "Am I...permitted to speak..?"

"I just _spoke_ to you, didn't I?" replies the huffy princess. "Now are you going to answer me or not?!"

"You can't blame him for being afraid to speak," says the prince, managing with difficulty to climb out of the moat once again. "You _did_ just hit him for that... _Twice_."

"No one asked you!" she says as she shoves him back into the moat again.

 _*Splash!*_

"Oh, come on!" complains Junior. "Not again!"

 _These two siblings do not appear to have a very good relationship..._

"Well?! Go on already!" says Ruto to Link. "Answer my question!"

"Uh..." Link stutters again, trying to find the words to say. "I... I don't think...there _is_ anyone left..."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean..?!"

"As far as I know...they're all still in _there_..." Link replies, pointing to the encased castle nearby. "That evil wizard took control of everything. He surprised us all with a small attack to draw all of the swordsmen into the castle so he could trap them inside that barrier, eliminating the entire Hyrulean Unit at once... I haven't come across any other survivors yet."

"You mean to tell me that _none_ of them remain..?!" she asks with panic. "You _can't_ be the only one left! How is it that _you -_ a novice recruit- made it out when the other, more experienced, soldiers didn't?!"

"There _could_ be a few more who survived..." Link replies. "But if there are, they'd be few and powerless like me... The only reason I wasn't trapped with the rest was because I was trying to retrieve a stolen scroll at the moment that barrier was cast..."

"A _scroll.._?" Ruto looks over the Hylian with interest at the sound of this. She quickly scans him up and down before locking her eyes upon the mysterious scroll tucked into his belt. "Is that_? It is!"

 _*Snatch!*_

Before Link can react, the scroll is nabbed from his belt and taken into the hands of the Zora princess. "The Scroll of Insight!" exclaims she.

The young Hylian stares blankly.

 _The what..?_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! A** **nd now Ruto is revealed to actually be back to her senses again. But how? Wait and see... ;) Things have indeed changed a lot since the original edition of this story; previously, Ruto was never even seen until now since after that scene in Ch. 3-1 where she was giving Zelda a hard time. Her entire rampage is something new and exclusive to this revised edition, as is that scroll Link retrieved that is about to be explained in the very next chapter...**


	44. 5-4 The Scroll of Insight

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 5: Fish Out of Water_

 **Chapter 4** **  
** _The Scroll of Insight_

"The Scroll of Insight!" exclaims Princess Ruto with excitement as she takes the scroll Link had retrieved from the Lynel into her hands. "This should answer our questions!"

The young Hylian knows not what this Zora talks about. _Was not this scroll completely blank?_ Yet it appears whatever this artifact is somehow really does hold great use and importance after all, though he cannot fathom how or what.

She opens it eagerly. But her expression changes in an instant as she looks upon the torn fabric. "What th_ Hey! What idiot poked a hole in here?! This won't do!"

Link looks sheepishly to the side. He hopes he will not have to answer that one...

Prince Zora Jr manages to climb his way out of the moat once more. "What's this about a scroll answering our questions?" asks the little one, straightening wearily as he rises to his feet.

"It can't in _this_ condition!" scoffs the princess before tossing it to her brother. "Here, Junior; do your thing and fix this up!"

The little prince stumbles to catch the scroll thrown to him unexpectedly. It bounces out of his hands a few times before he succeeds to catch it just before it falls into the moat he just climbed from.

...By falling in after it.

 _*Splash!*_

"Aw, fishsticks..." the prince mutters as he floats back to the water's surface with the scroll in hand. "Ah, well. I got it." With the damaged artifact clutched between them, the little Zora's hands begin to glow. Much to Link's amazement, the torn fabric begins to slowly piece itself back together within the boy's radiant palms.

"So tell me, human," begins Princess Ruto to Link as they wait for her brother's mysterious powers to finish fixing the scroll; "You are merely a novice-level recruit, are you not? Then how is it that _you_ would be the one to carry such an invaluable treasure of the royal family's?"

" _Is_ it an ' _invaluable treasure'.._?" Link asks, still unsure just what this scroll is.

"Of course it is!" Ruto replies. "That's the Scroll of Insight! An enchanted artifact made by the ancient Sheikah back in times so long past that the means used to create it have been completely lost in time. That single scroll contains virtually all knowledge known to mankind and cannot be replaced!"

"Oh? It looked blank when I found it..."

"Well, of course it would have been blank if it was _dormant._ But when activated, its surface is designed to display whatever contained information the holder wills to see. -Of course, in _that_ condition, its power won't connect properly to be of any use. But enough of that. Answer my question; why were _you_ entrusted with the Scroll of Insight when you _clearly_ don't know what it even is?!"

"Well, I was only retrieving it after a Lynel took it from the castle's library..."

Both Zoras gasp in surprise; "A _Lynel?!"_

Prince Zora Jr stares up in awe from within the moat. "Did it even have a library card?" asks the little one with eyes wide.

"And then what?!" inquires Princess Ruto with interest. "Did they have to call in the elite horsemen to get it back?!"

"They meant to..." Link answers truthfully. "Unfortunately, the stables were being raided and they had to focus on reclaiming the stolen animals... The only reason I was the one to chase it down was because I just happened to be lucky enough to get hold of a horse in time to go after the Lynel as it tried to get away..."

She gives him a look of disbelief. "Wait... You mean to say that _you_ went after a Lynel _yourself.._?!"

"Only because no one else had access to a steed in time..." says Link modestly.

"...And since Lynel's _never_ relent in their pursuit until their target is slain, am I to assume by the fact that you now stand here alive with the scroll in hand that you actually _killed_ it..?"

Link shrugs with an increasingly sheepish grin. _Hopefully that story did not sound too much like boasting..._

The Zoras stare at him blankly.

Princess Ruto bursts out laughing. " _Bwah ha ha ha!_ Oh, that's rich! A little guy like _you_ taking on a _Lynel?!_ As if I'm stupid enough to believe _that!_ Of all the ridiculous stories about their _'heroism'_ that men have fabricated to try and impress me with, _that_ one sure takes the calamari!"

"Wh-what?! No..!" says a flustered Link, his face red with embarrassment. "I really did fight a Lynel..! I'm not even interested in trying to impress anyone..!"

"That's what _all_ men say once they've been called out on it..." says an unconvinced Ruto. "Now seriously; what _really_ happened? And don't give me anymore of your macho lies. I've heard them all before from many men wanting to woo a princess...and I'm fed up with it!"

"But...I'm telling the truth..." says Link honestly.

"Oh, whatever... It's not like it matters, anyhow," scoffs the princess, still unconvinced of Link's tale. "Hey, Junior!" she says to her brother in the moat. "Is that scroll fixed yet?"

"Huh..? Oh!" says the prince, remembering now the scroll in his hand. "Um, yes! Here it is! It's...probably been done for awhile now, come to think of it..!"

He tosses it back to his sister on the land. Unlike her brother before, she catches it in her hands with ease. Not a trace of the previous damage can be seen upon the restored artifact. The patterns on the fabric begin to radiate as she holds the scroll between her hands. "That's better," she says upon looking it over. "Now let's see what it has to say about any nearby Zora... Huh? Oh no..!"

"What's wrong..?" Junior asks.

"The data's gone!" Ruto answers. "I can't view the map, and the entire compendium is empty! The power is connecting again, but there's no information to display! It's still as useless as it was punctured!"

"Well, uh...just don't blame this on me," says Zora Jr, struggling to pull himself back to the land. "My Healing Grace only works on physical damage; I can't do anything about... _whatever_ you just said."

"Wait..!" says Ruto with a tone of hope. "The _'scan'_ function is still working! Let me try something!" She holds the scroll with the eye-like pattern on the backside pointed towards Link. A wave of luminescence surges suddenly from the _'pupil'_ as if in response to his presence and courses through the rest of the artifact instantaneously. "I did it!" exclaims the princess with delight. "Scanning the Hylian just reawakened the lost entry for _'Hylian'_ in the compendium! This is what we need to do to get the missing data back!"

"I have no idea what you're even talking about..." says Junior dryly, climbing to his feet once more.

Ruto turns excitedly to show him the scroll. "See?! I got it to_"

 _*Whap!*_

Failing to pay attention to her surroundings, she accidentally bumps into her little brother upon turning to show him and knocks him right back into the moat again.

 _*Splash!*_

He looks up to her from the water with an unamused countenance. "...Really?"

"Um... Whoops," she says sheepishly. She turns to face Link. "Uh, here! Have a look!" She is still eager to show someone her discovery, but too hasty to wait for her brother to climb back out of the moat again. This Hylian will have to do for now.

Link looks with wonder upon the scroll. What was once blank now bears an image of himself (albeit with a rather embarrassing countenance of confusion) displayed near a detailed illustration of a Hylian for comparison listed with information regarding Hylians. It reads the following;

 _"Hylian:  
Easily distinguished from other humans by their pointed ears, Hylians have a higher capacity for magic than most other human races and are said to house the elemental power of light deep within their souls, although only a few learn to harness this power for themselves. Named after the goddess Hylia, they have remained the dominant race in Hyrule since the founding of the kingdom and __are widely considered the closest mortals to the gods."_

Ruto goes on to explain in brief; "Now that I've scanned you, the Hylian data has been restored to the Scroll of Insight's compendium! With this, it can now be used again to track the presence of Hylians by their aura and individually display the location of every one of them in the immediate area!" She demonstrates by showing Link a blank ' _map'_ that displays several small dots; one directly in the center near a marker representing the location of the scroll itself. "That small dot near the center is you," she continues to explain. "The others cluttered in one place represent all the Hylians it can detect inside the castle. They're obviously still alive if it's detecting aura from them, but they seem to be frozen in time."

Link releases a quiet sigh of relief to hear this. _There may be a chance yet that they can still be saved._

"Man! How I love this thing!" Ruto exclaims in excitement, holding the scroll to her heart in a moment of cherish. "Zelda and I used to play around with it all the time as children!" She points the scroll's _'eye'_ towards her brother. "Now then, just a quick scan of you, aaaaand... Got it! Zora data has been restored!"

Another lost entry in the compendium has been retrieved. It reads the following;

 _"Zora:  
An aquatic race of humanoids, the Zora were originally a race of monsters but had evolved souls and adapted a civilized way of life. Easily the most diverse of civilized races to date, some tribes are recorded to age at a similar rate to a Sheikah whereas others have a life-expectancy spanning several centuries. Their powers and anatomy very by tribe but all share a primarily piscivorous diet and possess both lungs and gills which enables them to breath both air and water alike."_

"And now we can search for the surviving Zora!" Ruto declares. She proceeds to scan the area. Her expression drops as she does. "No..."

"What's wrong now..?" Junior asks worriedly as he climbs out from the moat once again.

"None of them made it out!" she cries with panic. "They're all trapped inside that infernal barrier! We're the only ones outside!" Her hopes shattered, she tosses the scroll to the ground in exasperation. "I'm going to _KILL_ that wretched wizard! she says as she swings her rod at the air to vent her rage.

...Nearly striking her brother with it. "Yipe!" The young prince quickly leans back to narrowly avoid being inadvertently beheaded...losing his balance and falling backwards into the moat again in the process.

 _*Splash!*_

" _Gah!_ Not again!" exclaims he.

Link looks intently at the princess upon hearing her swear vendetta against the wizard who did this. "So...you're really _not_ with them..?" he mutters quietly.

She looks to him with a perplexed scowl. "What?"

"Uh. Th-that wizard..." Link says awkwardly. "You_ You're not working with him..?"

"Well, of _course_ I'm not!" she says in a rather offended tone. "Why the halibut would you even suspect something as stupid as _that_ in the first place?!"

"But_ Um... If I may ask; was that not you fighting against the Hylian soldiers defending the royal family in the castle moments ago..?"

"That wasn't _my_ idea! Those stupid Hylians attacked _me!_ I only fought back in self-defense! They even ignored the real enemies just to pick a fight with me in the middle of a raid! It is not my fault your kind is too full of themselves to recognize friend from foe!"

Now Link grows even _more_ confused. He had seen for himself as this Zora princess turned against the Hylians and brutally slaughtered the royal family and the soldiers defending them...and yet she claims it to have only been in 'self-defense'? _Impossible!_

And yet...she sounds very sincere in her response... Either she was not conscious during that berserk moment and her recollection of the event has been left greatly twisted or she makes a very convincing liar.

"But then...what about attacking the royal family..?" asks he.

"Oh, you mean when I cut that fool King Roark's pants off during the tournament earlier?" scoffs she. "I do that to him all the time. I'd hardly call that _'attacking'_ him."

Link stares blankly for a moment. _She did WHAT?_ "Um... No. I mean_ Uh... During the raid? All that...spewing fire...drinking their blood and turning them to stone..?"

Now it is Ruto who stares at _him_ blankly. She blinks twice.

And then once more.

"...What are you, some kind of lunatic?" she says at last. "You're talking crazy!"

"You probably hit him too hard..." grunts Zora Jr as he pulls himself once again out of the moat. "It's you're own fault he's like this."

Ruto dignifies that not with a reply...instead opting to shove her brother back into the moat again without a word.

 _*Splash!*_

" _Ack!_ When's this gag going to stop, already?!" he shouts in frustration.

"So..." Link says awkwardly. "You honestly have no recollection of any of this..?"

"Don't be ridiculous, you stupid Hylian!" Ruto scoffs. "I'm not the kind of Zora that can breath fire! And who ever heard of _any_ Zora practicing vampirism?! You're _insane!"_

"But...if_" a perplexed Link begins to say.

_Before the sound of a broken voice calling out interrupts the moment;

"Me hears it! It come from over there!"

Link and the Zoras turn in a jolt at the sound. More voices follow;

"There they are! Over here!"

"They has weaponses! Gets them!"

 _Monsters!_ They have been found!

"Looks like we have company..." says Ruto, sounding more annoyed than afraid.

Prince Zora Jr, climbing nearly out of the moat, raises his eyes to see the group of armed monsters approaching fast. He lets out an exasperated sigh.

And then willingly lets himself drop back into the moat again in defeat.

 _*Splash!*_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! This chapter ended up considerably longer than I intended, but_oh, well... Anyhow, now some light has finally been shed on that mysterious scroll Link recovered from the Lynel...and Ruto is confirmed to bear no recollection of her time in that corrupted state earlier. The plot thickens...**

 **It has been awhile since I've last had to include one of these sections in the Author's Note, since the past several chapters have been packed with new content, but for those of you who have read the original edition of _'TriSpirit':_ the next chapter will be pretty close to the original version again. There will still be some differences, but I'll be sure to list them in this part of the Author's Notes to spare you the hassle of rereading if you don't want to.**


	45. 5-5 Battle by the Moat

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 5: Fish Out of Water_

 **Chapter 5** **  
** _Battle by the Moat_

A group of five Bokoblins approaches Link and the Zora princess with weapons drawn. Ruto takes this opportunity to quickly scan them with the Scroll of Insight and restores a lost entry to its compendium. It reads the following:

 _"Bokoblin:  
These pig-nosed goblins are highly hostile and said to live for only three things; food, bloodshed, and...fashionable underpants. Although unintelligent and usually not too formidable individually, many victims have fallen to their barbaric assaults after being overwhelmed by their numbers rather than their strength."_

"Give ups yer weaponses," snarls a Bokoblin. "...Or we _KILLS_ you!"

" _We_ rules town now!" another adds. "Do as we says!"

Though he loathes to allow his weapons to fall into the Devastati's hands to be used for evil, having been found out leaves Link with no other choice but to yield if he wishes to live. He disarmingly reaches for his sword and shield to hand over to the Bokoblins as ordered before there is trouble.

Until he beholds Princess Ruto's much more daring response;

" _Humph!_ You insolent creatures!" she scoffs. "Do you have any idea whom you are speaking to?!"

"Uh... Some fish lady..?" a puzzled Bokoblin replies.

"' _Fish lady'_?! I'm no _fish_!" protests the offended Zora, now feeling even more enraged than before. She extends the magical whip from the ruby sphere at the end of her rod and grabs the offending Bokoblin by the earring with it, pulling the fiend closer before hollering into its face up close with a strong grip on its throat; "I am Rutoria De Bon: princess of the Zora! And I don't take orders from lowly _scum-beings_ like you filthy _Bokoblins_!"

With not a moment to react, the helpless Bokoblin is kicked hard in the gut, cleaved in the face, and hurled into the moat to perish by the Zora's wrath. Its surviving comrades are thrown into an uproar. "KILLS THEM! KILLS THEM!" they shout.

Link is shocked by her bold response and begins to panic. "Wh-what are you doing..?! Now we have to fight them!"

"Bring it on!" says Princess Ruto as she casts as glyph in her foes' path. " _Hydros!"_

 _*Sploosh!*_

Two Bokoblins are caught in the column of water rising from Ruto's glyph and thrown into the air. One of the remaining two attacks with a spiked club in hand while the other, who wields a bow, runs the opposite direction to shoot from afar.

Link would have rather surrendered without risking his life, but he cannot just give up now and leave her to fight alone. He picks up his sword and shield and reluctantly joins the combat.

Ruto uses her rod's magic whip to grab hold of the nearby Bokoblin by the leg, causing it to trip. She then thrusts her rod's bladed end into the hellion's chest while it is down, killing it.

One of the Bokoblins caught in the torrent from her Hydros regains its footing and tries to hit her. But is intercepted by Link. He knocks it back with his shield and retaliates with his sword.

 _*Slash!*_

The other Bokoblin tries to get back to its feet, but the skilled Zora jumps upon the fiend and thrusts the sharp point of her weapon's bladed end into its chest before it can rise.

 _*Stab!*_

As she finishes off her opponent, the archer fires an arrow at her!

 _*Twang!*_

But Link jumps in the way and blocks the attack with his shield just in the nick of time.

The Bokoblin archer continues to fire more arrows at Link.

 _*Twang! Twang! Twang!*_

But it appears not to have very good aim. Its arrows collide harmlessly into the ground as Link evades without much difficulty.

 _*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*_

Link draws his own bow and shoots the archer with an arrow of his own.

 _*Twang!*_

The archer falls to the ground with Link's arrow in its chest. But before it dies, it uses its last breath to blow its horn to call for reinforcements.

 _*HOOOOOOOMM!*_

Prince Zora Jr speaks up from within the moat. "Did they just call for backup?!"

"We need to move..!" Link urges with a serious tone.

"Don't tell _me_ what to do!" protests Princess Ruto as she takes the Scroll of Insight into her hands. "Now come along! I may need some assistance in dealing with them." She jumps back into the moat with her brother. The two Zoras hastily swim away before the reinforcements reach their current location.

Link quickly collects a handful of arrows from the fallen Bokoblin archer's quiver to refill his own as he follows the Zoras from along the land. He hopes desperately that they will be able to flee the scene with a clean record, but if they _do_ encounter more enemies and have to fight, he would much rather be armed for it.

Ruto looks into the Scroll of Insight for reconnaissance as she swims. "Two more Bokoblins ahead!" she says to her brother with an underwater gurgle before handing him the scroll. "Here! You hold onto this and watch for upcoming monsters while the swordsman and I fight!"

Two Bokoblins come running along beside the moat in search of the enemies that their comrades alerted them about with the sound of battle horns.

"Where are they..?!" says one.

"Must be here somewhere!" replies the other.

But their target finds them first...

 _*Splash!*_

Princess Ruto emerges from the moat without warning, catching them off-guard as she strikes one of them from behind before it even realizes her presence.

The second jolts in surprise as its comrade falls by Ruto's hand. Before it can react, a Hylian blade stabs it in the back as well.

"Ha! That was too easy!" Ruto exclaims to Link in triumph. "Looks like you may not be too bad to have around for now, human! Even if you _are_ an obvious lunatic."

Link says nothing. He chooses to let Ruto's words go by and remains focused on survival.

Prince Zora Jr calls out from the moat; "Four more Bokoblins are coming this way..!" he alerts fearfully.

"They're picking up in numbers... Take cover! Now!" Ruto commands before diving back into the moat.

Link hastily retreats out of sight and into the shadows of the nearby bushes.

The four hellions approach fast. The young Hylian lies low, daring not to even breathe. _As long as everyone remains quiet and still, these Bokoblins should hopefully just pass on by without having to__

 _*Splash!*_

The sound of Bokoblins crying out in panic as one of their own is dragged into the water to perish makes Link quickly realize that he and this Zora princess had completely different reasons in mind for _taking cover..._

Peering from behind the bush, he sees Ruto taking on the remaining three Bokoblins single-handed as the fourth one is left to quickly drown in the moat.

 _"Hydros!"_

 _*Sploosh!*_

Using her rod's magic, she creates a column of water on the battlefield to throw one enemy into the air as she deals with the other two. Keeping her distance from her foes, she casts her magic whip to strike and lasso one before swiftly circling around to attach the other end of the cord to the other's body, leashing the two opponents together to trip over each other.

 _*Thud!*_

Ruto stabs her foes one by one to finish them off as they hit the ground. The Bokoblin that was caught in her Hydros attack regains its feet and attempts to hit her from behind while she is dealing the final blows to its allies.

But the Bokoblin's blow lands not.

 _*Twang!*_

An arrow flies forth from the bushes and into the hellion's throat. Its carcass drops to the ground and withers to darkness.

An angry glare is shot from Ruto towards the Hylian behind the bush. "Well, _somebody_ sure took his sweet time before _finally_ deciding to help out!" says she. "How could you just leave me behind to fight by myself while _you_ take to the bushes and hide like a baby?! If you're a man, _act_ like one! Take responsibility!"

"Sorry..." Link sheepishly apologizes. "I didn't think you were going to go after them..."

"Well, next time come to my aid the _instant_ the battle begins instead of waiting until the last second to cover me!" Ruto scolds before turning back to her brother. "Junior! Where are the next Bokoblins at?!"

"Um... There are six more coming from... _that_ way!" the prince answers, pointing upstream.

"Six, huh?" Ruto remarks. "That's more than we have faced at once thus far. Stay close, human! This could get ugly if they see us first!"

Jumping back into the water, the Zora princess recollects the Scroll of Insight from her brother to monitor her enemies movements with and swims ahead with him close behind her. Link runs alongside the moat on the land once again. _It goes without saying that this is a fight they will all want to avoid if__

"Hey! Human!" the Zora princess calls out from the water, bringing Link to a screeching halt as he turns to see her behind him and heading in the opposite direction as he. "We're going _this_ way, you doop! What part of _'stay close'_ do you not understand?!"

Her brother looks at her with panic. "Huh?! But...this way leads _to_ the monsters..!"

"Yeah. I know," Ruto replies before submerging and swimming ahead underwater, prompting her reluctant brother to follow.

A horrifying realization dawns on Link;

 _She does not mean to avoid those Bokoblins at all..._

 _She means to AMBUSH them!_

Panicked, the Hylian swordsman turns around and chases after the Zoras, desperate to catch up before the older one throws them into mortal danger. He cannot let her face those Bokoblins alone.

 _That foolish Zora!_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! The battles begin now!**

 **For those who have read the original edition: this chapter plays out pretty similarly to how it did before, but one of the most significant changes to this revised chapter is that Ruto now uses the Scroll of Insight (which did not exist in the original edition at all) to monitor her enemies' movements and hunt them down before they see her. Having this feature will replace "drowsing" in later chapters, so I won't need as much of an introduction for the TriSpirit's powers later on. That should hopefully pick up the pace in the upcoming chapters.**


	46. 5-6 Stubborn Zora

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 5: Fish Out of Water_

 **Chapter 6** **  
** _Stubborn Zora_

Bokoblins are on the prowl. They are searching vigilantly for the cause of alarm they had heard.

"Where hear horn blow at?" asks one.

"Maybe it false alarm..?" another suggests.

 _*Splash!*_

Emerging suddenly from the nearby waters, Princess Ruto lunges beside one of the Bokoblins and knocks it backwards into the moat from whence she came. "Surprise!"

 _*Wham!*_

The five remaining Bokoblins are thrown into an uproar as their enemy takes down one of their own without warning. "There's the enemy!" they call out. "Kill her! Kill her!"

Another Bokoblin places its mouth upon its battlehorn to alert for reinforcements.

Only to take an arrow to the head before it could blow.

 _*Thwack!*_

Attacked by a Zora princess on one side and a Hylian archer on the other, the four standing Bokoblins quickly split up; two going after each target. Ruto uses the same techniques as before to deal with them; she casts her Hydros spell to intercept one enemy while singling her focus on the other. Link, likewise, continues to snipe down his approaching enemies to wound them before they reach him, especially targeting those bearing battlehorns before they can send their distress signal and give away their location to further reinforcements. He then draws his sword as they get close so he and Ruto can gang up to finish their foes while they are wounded.

Within the moat, the first Bokoblin of the group whom Ruto knocked into the water struggles desperately to get out. Its efforts are futile. Bokoblins are very poor swimmers.

Prince Zora Jr watches the fiend's struggle. "This moat is not the easiest to climb out of, buddy," he remarks with an underwater gurgle while casually swimming by. "Believe me. I know."

In spite of drowning, the angry Bokoblin tries to strike the young Zora with its spiked club underwater.

 _*Swish! ...Swish! ...Swish!*_

But this, too, is futile. The water's density makes movement difficult for the terrestrial monster. The hydrodynamic child evades with no effort.

"Too bad you can't swim or breath underwater..." Junior continues with slight sympathy. "I'd like to help you get back out, but since you just want to kill us, I don't think that would be within my best interests right now. Sorry."

Its oxygen running out fast, the drowning Bokoblin soon perishes.

Ruto runs her rod's blade through the last living Bokoblin's chest. "There! That wasn't so hard, now was it, human?" she says to Link. "Just cover me from the _start_ of a fight instead of waiting till the last minute and it all goes so much better!"

"We could have avoided that fight..." Link mutters quietly. He intended to say it out loud, but his shyness keeps him from making his voice heard.

Ruto looks into the Scroll of Insight in search of enemies once again. "There are two more groups of Bokoblins coming from different directions. Come on! If we act fast, we can take them both out before they meet up!"

"Wait..!" Link speaks up, halting Ruto before she jumps back into the water. "Why do you keep going after them like this?"

She looks to him indignantly. "What do you mean; _why am I going after them?_ They're the _bad guys!_ How obvious can you get?!"

"No... What I mean is; why keep picking unnecessary fights like this? You've been chasing enemies down when they could have more easily been avoided..."

"Of course I'm chasing them down! This Devastati lot just imprisoned my people! And as their princess and the last Zora in Castle Town standing, I fully intend to avenge them!"

Link dreads to hear these words. "But...what's even the point now? You couldn't possibly hope to take down the whole Devastati on your own..!"

"No, but I can give them a taste of my wrath while I'm here!" says Ruto with determination. "Later on I will lead a full attack after I have returned to Zora's Domain and gathered my warriors at home to fight. But first I'm going to show this Devastati what a mistake they've made and pick off some of their weaker forces beforehand to let them know who they're messing with! So quit stalling and come along already! Let's give these scumbags a fight they won't forget!"

"I'm sorry, but...if _that's_ what you have in mind..." Link says with a sigh. "Then I'm afraid I can't keep covering you like this."

"And why not?!" says Ruto in annoyance.

"I can't afford to have any sort of rebellion on my record..." Link answers shamefully. "I still need to _live_ in this town, you know."

"You're _already_ involved, you cowardly simpleton!" Ruto protests. "You're a _soldier!_ And these reprobates are attacking _your_ hometown! You should be defending it with your life!"

"Yeah, but_" Link begins to say before Princess Ruto cuts him off.

"No ' _buts'_ about it!" she snaps. "A soldier's duty to defend is bigger than his own life! You're a coward if you just let your enemies off without a fight! Are you just going to abandon your purpose and save your _own_ life instead?! Stop being such a wimp and fight back like a man!"

"It's not my own life that I'm worried about..." says Link. "It's my grandmother's..."

Ruto raises a brow at this remark. "...Come again?"

Tears begin to slowly form in the Hylian's eyes. "If I fight back_they'll also kill my grandmother..." explains he. "They said so themselves that they'd also kill the loved ones of anyone who disobeys... And even if they never do find out that she's related to me and leave her alone after killing me...she still has no one left to take care of her if anything happens to me... I'm all she has... I can't afford to put her in danger or to leave her all alone to fend for herself...especially not in times like this..."

The scowl on Ruto's face begins to fade just slightly. She seems to briefly feel pity for him and consider his absolution...

However, any sign of hesitation is immediately put aside the instant her eyes fall back upon the scroll. "Gah! They're coming this way..!" she exclaims in a hushed voice. "Look, human, I haven't the time to argue. But I, for one, am going to fight on no matter what! If you're too scared to do your job and lend fighting-support, then don't! I can take care of myself just as well anyhow! But whatever you choose to do, just don't get in the way! Now if you'll excuse me, I have some monsters to annihilate!"

With that, she jumps back into the moat with her brother. She swims ahead to take the next group of monsters by ambush just as before.

His enemies approaching, Link has no time to hesitate. He hastens to retreat from the scene before they find him resisting. Link is the only person whom his grandmother has to depend on; he cannot risk his life and leave her with nobody!

 _But what of the Zoras?_ He wishes not to abandon them to fend for themselves. Still, the princess did display exceptional fighting-skills and efficient tactics. Her ability to use magic easily makes her a much more formidable fighter than he!

But will it be enough to keep them alive..?

Then again, he _did_ witness her take down several armed soldiers single-handed without equipping a weapon of her own inside the castle moments ago. She was not herself then, and was fighting on the wrong side, but she still held her own and triumphed in a fight that should have been unwinnable. This battle should be nothing to her.

 _Right..?_

But can she still use those powers from before? She has not demonstrated them since Link encountered her sane. It is quite possible that whatever had driven her mad before was the source of that terrible power she had then displayed. And Link's assistance did save her from harm more than once just now... Can she really survive this alone?

"(How did I get involved in this..?!)" Link thinks to himself as he runs. "(It's her own recklessness that's endangering them! Is it really my task to risk my life trying to defend someone from their own folly..?")

The words left by Princess Ruto replay in his mind;

 _'A soldier's duty to defend is bigger than his own life!'_

The young Hylian stops in his tracks. A somber sigh passes through his lips as he reflects on this.

 _That sounds like something Sir Pent would have said..._

* * *

The monsters of the Devastati run around in panic as they discover the remains of their fallen allies, but are unable to trace the culprit behind these continuous assassinations. Their assassin is striking like lightning; fast and unpredictable, retreating quickly after each assault to strike again on her next victim.

Using the Scroll of Insight to track her enemies' movements, Ruto is able to find them before they find her, granting her a major tactical advantage as she ambushes them from the moat. Her Hydros spell enables her to stall one or two enemies while she singles out another to deal with individually. This divide-and-conquer strategy proves excellently effective for rapidly eliminating her foes one by one.

Ruto is beginning to greatly enjoy the fear and confusion that she is spreading throughout the Devastati's forces. "Heh heh. They're learning to fear me already!" she says in content as she continues her assault. "In your face, Zelda! _This_ is how a _competent_ princess deals with danger!"

Her younger brother does not share her pleasure and grows only more worried about the attention she is drawing out. "I really think we should do as that human did and just go back into hiding while we can!" he says while struggling to keep up behind her. "We'll have much better chances of getting out of here alive if we don't have their attention!"

"Aw, don't be such a baby!" says Ruto with confidence. "I'll be stealthy! They can't alert reinforcements if I kill them first! I know what I'm doing!"

"(I doubt it...)" thinks Zora Jr.

Continuing her assault and growing increasingly confident with every assassination, Ruto begins to challenge more than one foe at a time. She strikes at a group of four Bokoblins on her own at once.

And succeeds to slay them all.

Feeling invincible, she begins to loudly taunt her opponents as she assaults them. "Hey, Ugly! Over here!" she says as she challenges her next targets. The monsters blow their battle horns as she reveals herself to attack, alerting her position to their comrades.

She defeats them skillfully, but her toying with them has already drawn out unnecessary attention.

"What did you do _that_ for?!" her brother asks in alarm as his sister returns to the moat. "Now they've figured out where we are!"

"Relax!" says an overconfident Ruto. "These Bokoblins are pushovers! They are but dust to me!"

"Huh? What's _'butt dust'_..?" asks the puzzled prince.

Focusing her attention on her enemies' position shown on the scroll, she pays him no mind. " _Shh!_ There are three more Bokoblins up ahead. This should be a snap..!"

Zora Jr sighs in regret as his sister swims ahead in pursuit of her next targets. "Great... A few more easy ones for you to pick off before we have to die soon..."

A Bokoblin searching the castlegrounds with its peers hears movement coming from the moat. It approaches slowly to investigate...

 _*Splash!*_

Before it can react, the hellion is nabbed by the ankle with a blue cord of magical energy emerging without warning from the water and dragged under where it is quickly killed. Its comrades shout in confused panic as the assassin emerges from the water to attack the rest of them with her radiant rod agleam in hand.

"Alright! Who's ready to get beaten by a...girl..?" Ruto confidently begins to say.

But quickly changes tone upon realizing that there are more monsters present than she was prepared for...

The ever-accurate Scroll of Insight had revealed the presence of only three Bokoblins, and only three Bokoblins there are (albeit, only _two_ now, if the dead one is not counted). However, what the scroll had _not_ revealed was that those three Bokoblins are not alone.

For in their company... _four_ Moblins armed and vigilant are also present. The data of their kind currently still lost from the compendium, the Scroll of Insight had not detected their aura to display their location as it did the Bokoblins'.

Ruto freezes in place. She realizes now this ambush may have been a grave mistake.

"Oops..."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! And now you are left with yet another cliffhanger...**

 **Now for those who've read the original edition of this story: while this chapter hasn't necessarily changed too much in _the way_ it plays out, but it is quite different in _why_ it plays out the way it does. Also, I did make several adjustments in response to your reviews back then. It appears I had ended up depicting Link far more cowardly than I intended in the original version of this chapter, and so I've put much more emphasis this time on the fact that the fights Ruto is risking their lives in are unnecessary and easily avoidable, that Link is only being practical by wanting to hide instead of fight, and how he didn't _intentionally_ abandon her to fight alone while he hid in the bushes, as he was expecting her to stay hidden as well. I also added a little more comedy...such as Zora Jr's interactions with the drowning Bokoblin. LOL**


	47. 5-7 Cornered

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 5: Fish Out of Water_

 **Chapter 7** **  
** _Cornered_

Ruto stands surrounded by Bokoblins and Moblins alike. Her scheme to assault her enemies by surprise has backfired and left _her_ the one caught unprepared for a fight instead of them.

"There the assassin!" the hellions call out. "Kill her! Kill her!"

Clubs and spears coming upon her, Ruto hastily casts her glyph in the incoming fiends' path. " _Hydros._.!"

 _*Sploosh!*_

Her enemies briefly dazed by the sudden gush of water, but her odds of defeating them single-handed obviously too low to even try, she takes this instant to scan the Moblins with the scroll as she rushes back to the moat from behind the pillar of water. The restored entry to the compendium reads the following:

 _"Moblin:  
Far stronger and more dangerous than their smaller Bokoblin relatives, what these monsters lack in intelligence they make up for in strength. They are ruthlessly violent and powerful enough to tear their victims to pieces with just their bare hands. Although omnivorous, they prefer the taste of meat above all else and bear a ferociously gluttonous appetite."_

The Moblin data recovered so that the Scroll of Insight can once again recognize the aura of the massive hellions, Ruto wastes no time sticking around another instant. Even she knows this fight is unwinnable. "We have to get out of here!" she orders to her brother upon returning to the moat. "There are too many of them!"

Junior is surprised by her sudden change in attitude. "Huh? But I thought you said there were only three..?"

"Only three _Bokoblins_..!" says a panicked Ruto as they swim away. "But they have four _Moblins_ behind them!"

" _Moblins?!_ I told you drawing out attention was a bad idea!"

"Oh, shut up and keep swimming! It's not my fault the scroll couldn't identify their presence!"

"But it's your fault they know we're here!"

"I said; _shut up!"_

The two siblings swim as fast as they can through the moat.

But the monsters now know of their position. They pursue the fleeing Zoras from alongside the land while blowing their horns to alert others to join the hunt. Before long, the Zoras reach the end of the moat and find themselves cornered while more and more monsters catch up with the rest. There is no escape.

The monsters stand over the moat with their spears to prevent the two from swimming back the way they came. The Zoras are trapped if they stay in the water; the only way out is by land.

"We're trapped!" wails a weeping Zora Jr. "We're going to die..!"

Ruto looks around desperately at the grave situation. "Here, take this and go!" she says to her brother, handing him the Scroll of Insight. "You can use it to locate the monsters before they see you and avoid them on your way out!"

Junior's eyes widen and heart sinks at these words. "Wait_ What..?! Wh-what do you mean..?!"

"I'll buy you some time..." says Ruto seriously. "Use the first opportunity to escape while you can!"

"But_!" Junior says tearfully.

"No _buts!"_ Ruto sharply interrupts. "Just do as I say if you want to live..!"

Without another word, the Zora princess leaps from the water and strikes down a Bokoblin. "Get her! Get her!" scream its comrades.

Ruto uses her best tactics for dealing with multiple enemies at once; intercepting some with her Hydros spells while striking others with her whip to keep them at bay as she avoids incoming attacks with graceful movements.

But there are simply too many for her to fight back against. She can do nothing more than stall.

The surrounding Moblins soon corner her. She attempts to catch hold of one with her magic whip.

 _*Snap!*_

But it is no use. The heavy brute instead grabs hold of it and swings her around using its own weight. She is tossed painfully against the stone wall. The Rod of Jabuni is flung from her grasp.

 _*Crash!*_

The Moblin walks closer. It has Ruto at its mercy and is ready to finish her off.

Prince Zora Jr climbs from the moat and picks up the Rod of Jabuni himself. "Don't hurt my sister!" he screams threateningly as he attempts to stab the Moblin in the back.

But the Moblin merely swings its own weapon and knocks the young prince away, sending him flying and injuring his arm.

 _*WHAM!*_

"Junior!" screams Ruto in horror as she watches her little brother -and the only person left in her life- get brutally thrown over fifteen feet across the ground. "I told you to get away..!"

The Bokoblins gather around the injured prince as he lies weeping in absolute pain, ready to feast on him while he is still alive. The Moblin again turns toward Ruto. It lifts the helpless princess by the throat and pins her to the wall. She struggles to free herself, but it is futile.

"You die now..." snorts the Moblin, holding its spear to her throat. "Any last words..?"

Just as Ruto braces herself for death, the Moblin suddenly roars in pain and drops both Ruto and its spear to the ground while gripping its wrist in agony. It has been pierced with an arrow.

Several more arrows fire at the Bokoblins that surround the prince, killing them before they can harm him.

 _*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*_

Raising her eyes, Ruto sees a familiar swordsman garbed in green shooting down the monsters with his bow.

"(I know I shouldn't have gotten involved...)" Link thinks to himself as he continues firing arrows at the monsters. "(But I could never just standby and let these two get killed!)"

"(Well, _this_ is embarrassing...)" thinks Ruto as Link comes to the rescue. "(I didn't want to be the damsel-in-distress!)" She looks down at the spear that the Moblin who had seized her had dropped upon getting its wrist shot. "(...And I _won't_ be!)"

She picks up the dropped spear and slashes the wounded Moblin down with it. She then follows up by stabbing the hellion in the chest with its own weapon.

The monsters spot Link shooting them from afar and blindly charge at him in attack.

...Making it laughably easy for him to snipe them down one-by-one as they vainly try to approach.

 _It is a good thing that Bokoblins are not very smart..._

"Ruto!" calls Prince Zora Jr, holding up the Rod of Jabuni in the hand that is still uninjured. "Catch!" He tosses the rod from on the ground to his better-skilled sister.

"Got it!" says Ruto upon catching her mighty rod. "Now get back in the water and wait someplace safe!"

Junior complies without hesitation. His arm still hurting terribly, he crawls weakly back into the moat where he attempts to use his Healing Grace on his own injury. Unfortunately, it proves futile. His power has worked never on himself before and this time is no exception. He decides to abide the pain and not exhaust his power any further; his sister and this Hylian swordsman fighting for them may very well have need for it after this fight.

With the Rod of Jabuni in her grasp again, Ruto channels energy through her hand and waves it across the unneeded Moblin spear she holds to imbue the latter with power. A swirling blue aura engulfs the spear as her fingers pass over it. She throws the empowered spear into another Moblin rushing upon her, impaling and killing the fiend in a single blow before rejoining the fight using her own rod again.

Together, Link and Ruto prove to be a formidable threat to their enemies. The number of Bokoblins are decreasing rapidly as Link shoots them down, giving Princess Ruto the opening she needs to fight back.

A Moblin charges at her with its spear (inadvertently trampling some of its Bokoblin allies in the process). She steps out of the way and wraps her magic whip around the fiend's ankle, causing it to trip.

 _*Thud!*_

Another Moblin attacks her, this one wielding a metal shield. Using the Rod of Jabuni to pole-jump over her foe's shield as it charges at her, she flips behind the Moblin and cleaves it in the back.

 _*Hack!*_

The previous Moblin that she had tripped regains its feet and attempts to thrust its spear into her.

But Link jumps in and stabs it in the back before it can strike. "Hyeah!"

 _*Stab!*_

"So you decided to make yourself useful after all, did you?" Ruto says to Link now that they stand within closer range of each other. "Took you long enough!"

"S-sorry..!" says Link sheepishly, feeling ashamed for the way he had almost left them to die. "Are you okay..?"

"Compared to _these_ scumbags; I suppose so," replies Ruto as she strikes down another Bokoblin. "Now enough chatter and more slaughter! Let's get 'em!"

For as many monsters Link and Ruto have struck down, there are still more approaching; multiple other Bokoblins arrive and come charging blindly at them.

"Shoot them from higher ground!" orders Princess Ruto to Link.

" _What_ higher ground..?!" replies Link. "We're in the middle of_"

" _Hydros!"_

 _*Sploosh!*_

"_WHOA!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Link is lifted six feet off the ground by a column of water from Ruto's Hydros spell. Finding that he can stand on top of the water like a platform, the Hylian complies and proceeds to shoot down the approaching enemies from atop the pillar of water while Ruto continues to hold them off at ground-level. By the time the incoming Bokoblins reach the two, their numbers have already diminished significantly from being sniped out by Link.

The fountain Link stood on for height dies down, but the remaining number of Bokoblins proves to be not much of a problem to take down up-close. Ruto casts her Hydros again in her enemies' path to stall them as she and Link work together to rapidly pick off the remaining Bokoblins one by one.

But the battle is over not. Multiple Moblins have caught up and are approaching fast. There are too many for only two warriors to handle.

"This won't do!" says Ruto. "We'll have to create some sort of opening and fall back..!"

But no opening there is. The Moblins have them cornered. As Ruto attempts to bypass them, one violently knocks her to the ground with its club!

 _*Wham!*_

Link tries to defend her, but is quickly knocked aside just the same by another and sent flying. The Moblin that hit Ruto stands above her, pinning her down with its foot. It raises its club to bring down upon her skull to shatter it.

But the blow lands not...

 _*Bzzam!*_

A sudden sphere of dark energy comes flying into the battlefield...striking down the Moblin that was about to land the finishing blow on Ruto!

"Hold it!" calls an authoritative voice from the direction of the projectile. "That one...is _MINE!"_

 _That voice... It sounds familiar..._

The Moblins cease their attack and look on in astonishment. Swooping in is a black-and-red, man-sized figure with bat-like wings on his back and a golden Devastati emblem visible on his forehead. Link and Ruto both recognize him immediately;

 _Lord Bloodvore..!_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! And now a deadly foe has returned...**

 **For those who have read the original edition of this story: this chapter has remained pretty similar to the previous version, aside from ending with an encounter from Bloodvore instead of successfully fending off the attacking monsters as before. Another small but notable new detail is that Ruto has her brother take the newly-added Scroll of Insight and orders him to flee before she faces the monsters, so he will be located within the moat and away from the fight with the scroll in hand where the next chapter starts...**


	48. 5-8 Bloodvore's Revenge

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 5: Fish Out of Water_

 **Chapter 8** **  
** _Bloodvore's Revenge_

The Acheman Champion, with soulless eyes burning pale and furious, stares down the Moblins authoritatively. "That Zora brat caused me a great deal of trouble..." he hisses with rage. "And I _refuse_ to let some worthless Moblins take my prey before I've had my revenge!"

The Moblins stand around hesitantly. One dares to speak up; "We Moblins not take orders...from puny _Acheman_..!" it snorts defiantly. "We find them first... We... _KILL_ them..!" The massive hellion lets out a roar and attempts to finish off its targets in rebellion to the Acheman's orders.

The golden emblem upon Bloodvore's forehead blazes furiously. Every Devastati emblem on each of the surrounding monsters begins to resonate violently in response, causing the bearers to all cry out in pain. "I was hoping one of you might say that..." hisses the Acheman Champion with a twisted smirk as he sends a devastating shock through each of the Moblins' bodies. "It just gives me an excuse...to do away with you inferior scum!"

Although he could easily strike each of the Moblins dead using just his authority as a Devastati Elite like this, Bloodvore prefers a more brutal execution. Materializing his Batwing Scimitars into his hands, the Acheman Champion dashes around his fellow monsters and pulls them all into a ring of fire left in his wake. Having them all in one place, he swoops into the center of the ring and rapidly slashes away with his fiery blades.

 _*Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!*_

In less than ten seconds, eight Moblins are completely severed. A smirk of malicious content is on the merciless Acheman's face as he lands before Link and Ruto, a wall of black steam rising behind him from the withering Moblin parts left in the wake of his onslaught. "Now then..." he hisses, raising his eyes to Ruto. "I believe we have some unfinished business..!"

"You..!" grunts Ruto as she pulls herself back to her feet. Fear and hatred are both evident in her voice. "What have you done to my people, you hairy wretch..?!"

"Oh, don't worry about _them_ , Princess," Bloodvore taunts. "They're not going anywhere... More specifically; that _can't!_ But _you,_ on the other hand, have won yourself a slow and relaxing VIP trip...to the afterlife! ...Although I _may_ have lied about the _'relaxing'_ part."

Ruto lets out a furious cry of rage and rushes Bloodvore with her weapon. But he vanishes before the blow connects and reappears behind her.

Link knows not what previous encounter the Zora princess and Acheman Champion have had, but now is no time to question. Returning to his feet, he readies his last arrow and aims for Bloodvore's head before the latter can harm Princess Ruto.

 _*Twang!*_

But it fails to land. Bloodvore simply parries the arrow with his scimitar. "Oh, and what do we have here?!" he says as he vanishes again and reappears before Link, knocking the Hylian down. "You're that pathetic runt that got in my way back on the rooftops, aren't you?! Oh, this is perfect! Two of the most meddlesome pests to have eluded me today... _both_ here for me to torture and kill at the same time! Looks like things are finally shaping my way today after all! And this time there's no Goron warrior here to save you!"

Link slashes with his sword. Bloodvore leaps back and evades with ease.

Ruto lunges towards the Acheman Champion with her rod once again...only to be evaded just as before.

This time taking a fireball to the back.

 _*Fwoom!*_

"Aaauughh!" wails the princess in pain.

"You should have joined us when you had the chance, Princess," says Bloodvore. "You could have shared in the Devastati's victory today..." He hurls his twin scimitars at each of his two targets. "But now you share in Hyrule's defeat!"

Link and Ruto both barely manage to block the incoming blades. "I'd rather die than side with _you!"_ Ruto protests as she and Link both rush upon their mutual foe.

"I'm glad you feel that way..." Bloodvore taunts as his scimitars materialize again in his hands. "Because that's _exactly_ how it's going to be!" Vanishing to avoid the incoming attacks, he reappears between his foes and knocks them both aside at once with a spin-attack.

 _*Whack! Whack!*_

"Ha ha ha! Face it, chumps!" he taunts. "Neither of you are any match for me! And _now_ you're both still too weak from your battle against the Devastati forces to even _begin_ to put up a fight! I am merely toying with you pathetic weaklings!"

Ruto grits her teeth in anger as she gets back to her feet. She strikes with her magic whip.

 _*Snap!*_

It latches onto one of Bloodvore's Batwing Scimitars, tearing it from his hand. Link attempts to strike their foe from behind.

But Bloodvore evades by vanishing once again. He reappears and lets out a earsplitting screech that paralyzes Link and Ruto both in their tracks. _"*SCREEEEEEEEEHH!*"_

Following up, he strikes Link down with his remaining scimitar before hurling it at Ruto.

 _*Wham!*_

Both scimitars materialize again in his hands. He approaches Ruto slowly, bloodlust burning in his soulless eyes. "What's the matter, _Princess..?"_ taunts he. "You seemed to show so much potential before... Taking down several Hylians single-handed in that silly tournament this afternoon... I guess it's a good thing you turned down the offer to join the Devastati after all! Such an incompetent pushover like you would have only held us back! Turns out you're nothing more than a fish out of water! And now it's time for you to be _grilled._.!"

Raising his blades above his head, the Acheman Champion sets them aflame once more to bring them down upon Ruto as she lies weakly on the ground.

Weakened to the point where she can barely move, but unrelenting in determination, the strong-willed Zora raises her rod and casts her glyph in her enemy's way. " _Hydros!"_

 _*Sploosh!*_

A column of water emerges before Bloodvore, intercepting his path of attack. He remains unfazed. With blades still aflame, he swiftly circles around it and rushes upon the Zora princess.

Only to find she is no longer there.

The Hydros attack was merely a distraction. Ruto has rolled back into the moat from behind the pillar of water where no Acheman can follow.

"Gah! _This_ again..?!" Bloodvore hisses in annoyence. He attempts to give chase but is intercepted by Link.

"Hyeaah!"

Blades clash.

 _*Clang! Clang! Clang!*_

But the weakened Hylian is unable to match Bloodvore's superior technique. There are valid reasons why the latter bears the title of _Acheman Champion._ Within seconds of combat, Link takes a fireball in between swings and is knocked down. Bloodvore pins him there with clawed feet.

"I'll admit you put up a better fight than I expected..." says the Acheman Champion as he holds his searing blade to his victims throat...unaware of the blue glow shining dimly in the moat behind him. "But not by much; I would have thought a pipsqueak like you would've killed yourself just trying to draw your sword! _Grah ha ha!_ Now let's see... Should I kill you _now_ or just bleed you a little so you can still live to see your family one last time...as I slowly skin them all alive right before your eyes! Ah, how I live for moments like_"

A sudden splash from behind is heard and a Zoran glyph appears beneath Bloodvore as he taunts Link. " _Hydros!"_ calls the revitalized Zora princess as she emerges from the moat, having been restored to fighting-condition by her younger brother hiding in there.

 _*Sploosh!*_

Caught off guard, Bloodvore is hurled into the air by the sudden torrent. He crashes on the ground, followed by a strike from Ruto's bladed rod. "GYAAAAAAH! Why, you little_!" He holds a scimitar in defense against the next blow and readies the other to hurl at his target.

Freed from the ground, Link musters the little strength he has left in spite of the pain and immediately springs up to strike the Acheman Champion in the back, thwarting his next blow.

 _*Slash!*_

Being attacked from both directions at once, Bloodvore cannot even focus his power enough to teleport in time. He tries to strike at Link but is caught from behind by Ruto's whip instead.

 _*Snap!*_

"I've had enough of you, you infernal rapscallion!" yells Ruto as she and Link combine their attacks against the restrained Acheman Champion. One blow after another from the two of them, their foe is quickly knocked backwards until backed over the edge of the moat. "You might consider me a ' _fish out of water'..._ " She thrusts her rod with full force into her target, knocking the fiend into the water. "But that's still better than a _drowning rat!"_

 _*Splash!*_

Bloodvore cries out as he takes the blow and drops in. Bubbles and steam rise from the black mass sinking fast to the bottom of the moat.

 _*Glub... Glub...*_

"_Or... _'bat',_ I guess..." Ruto corrects herself as she approaches the water where her non-aquatic foes drowns. "Besides, rats can swim just fine... Achemen, on the other hand, most certainly do _not._ But all that's beside the point... Let's finish this!"

Link drops to his knees in exhaustion. He leaves it to the Zora to ensure that their drowning foe does not live to resurface.

Just as Ruto is about to dive in after her target, she suddenly gasps in surprise to see the dark shape at the bottom of the moat dashing upstream with incredible aquatic speed. "Whoa! What in the world_?!"

 _*Splash!*_

Bloodvore emerges from the water several yards away from where Ruto and Link stand, landing gracefully upon his feet from a swift leap out from the moat that no non-aquatic life-form should be capable of. "That's right..." he hisses. "Achemen _can't_ swim..."

But his shape is no longer that of an Acheman...

"_At least not without taking the shape of a Zora who _can!"_

Standing before Ruto and Link, Bloodvore stands in a different form entirely... An almost exact duplicate of Princess Ruto! His posture is still fairly hunched rather than upright and elegant like the real Ruto, and his eyes still burn pale and soulless like the monster he is.

Just like when _'Princess Ruto'_ was supposedly summoned by Kazama to massacre the royal family.

Worse yet; lifted over his shoulder...is Prince Zora Jr taken hostage!

"...And just look at my latest catch!" the fake Ruto taunts as he clutches the injured Zora prince by the throat.

"Ruto..!" cries a tearful Zora Jr, struggling desperately to free himself. "Help..!"

"Junior..!" screams a panicked Ruto, bewildered on a number of levels. "How did you_?! L-let him go this instant, you fiend!"

Link rises to his feet again. "That was _you.._!" he declares with realization and just rage burning in his eyes. " _You're_ the one who I watched take down the royal family _disguised_ as the Zora princess!"

Ruto turns to Link in shock, finally beginning to understand what he was saying to her before the Bokoblins had found them.

 _He may not be insane after all..._

"Duh!" taunts Bloodvore in the shape of Ruto. "I'm surprised you idiot Hylians didn't catch on sooner! I didn't even get enough blood from that brat to perfect my disguise!" He reverts back into his true form. His pale eyes lock onto Ruto with bloodlust as his long tongue licks his chops. "Or at least...not _yet..._ "

Ruto has had enough. Her violet eyes filled with rage, she rushes straight into the vile Acheman with the Rod of Jabuni's point aimed for his face. "You are so _DEAD_..!" she hollers furiously.

But Bloodvore merely smirks and holds Zora Jr up as a shield. Ruto comes to a sudden halt just in time to avoid skewering her own brother.

Bloodvore takes this instant to spew a sudden fireball at her.

 _*Fwoom!*_

She cries out in pain as the flames lick her skin and knock her back. Her foe follows up hurling a dark sphere at her while she is down.

 _*Bzzam!*_

But it hits her not. Link jumps in the way, protecting her from the blow with his shield. But before anything else can happen, a portal of shadow and flame opens beneath Bloodvore's feet. He quickly disappears through it with the Zora prince still in his clutches sooner than anyone can react. Zora Jr's cries for help are silenced upon the portals closing. "Ruto..! Hel_!"

"Junior..!" the princess wails in panic. "No..!"

The voice of the Acheman sorcerer echoes once more for Ruto and Link to hear as they are left behind:

 _"Grah ha ha ha! Don't worry, Princess! I'll get back to you later! I just didn't want to pass up this chance to catch a bigger fish! _Well, okay. Maybe a SMALLER fish, but a bigger opportunity, at least... Anyway, YOU may have proven to be a lost cause for the Devastati, but with your brother's royal heritage AND_ _healing powers_ _, I get the feeling he's going to make one heck of a useful prisoner!_ _And once we've placed our Seal of Subjection on this kid, he'll be completely under our control with no escape!_

 _"But you and I still have our unfinished business to resolve, and so to ensure that you don't try and run away before it's through, I'll make you a limited-time offer that you can't refuse... For just half-an-hour -and half-an-hour ONLY!- I'll keep your precious prince tied up at the central square of town -completely unsealed!- for his big sister to come to the rescue...if she isn't too chicken to protect her own family, that is! But once that half-hour is up; the Seal of Subjection goes on...and even rescuing him will be useless once that happens! You have until then to act if you want to free him...IF you can somehow make it past ME! -Which you obviously CAN'T!_

 _"Oh, and as for YOU, Hylian... Don't assume you're off the hook either! The Devastati now rules all of Castle Town...and you've already managed to put both yourself AND all whom you hold dear on our blacklist with your little rebellion! It won't take long before we've identified you and learned who your kin are, and then they will ALL pay the price for your stupidity! So just relax and enjoy the last of your short life; knowing that within these next few days your entire family will soon be going through unimaginable torture... Pain beyond compare... Suffering the slowest, cruelest deaths you can think of... All because of YOU!_

 _"Grah ha ha ha! See you soon, losers! You'll BOTH regret defying the Devastati tonight!"_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!** **As it turns out; Ruto was innocent all along! Bloodvore was the real culprit from the start! So did anyone predict this twist? I still have a _lot_ more plot-twists like this planned out for this story's future yet, many of which have already seen a few subtle clues leading up to them and should hopefully be much more difficult to predict...**


	49. 5-9 Yet Another Loss

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 5: Fish Out of Water_

 **Chapter 9** **  
** _Yet Another Loss_

Her breathing grows heavy. Tears leak from her eyes. They carry her feelings of pain, her feelings of guilt, of anger, of panic, and above all: of loss. No more family by her side, Princess Ruto drops to her knees in an emotional breakdown. The little she had left has been lost to her as she watched Bloodvore vanish into that shadowy portal with the very last of her family in his clutches.

"No..!" she cries out in anguish. "This can't be happening! Not again!"

And yet happening it is, whether she likes it or not.

Her brother has been taken hostage, her father sealed away with each and every one of the Zoran guards and servants to have accompanied them to Castle Town, and she has been left by herself to mourn in a town far from home and teeming with evil monsters...

Alone.

But she is not _completely_ alone. Standing beside her in the darkening twilight, a green-garbed Hylian, worn and weary from battle, looks to her with utmost sympathy. "Are you...alright..?" he weakly asks her with genuine concern.

...Only to take a blow from her whip.

 _*Snap!*_

"Insolent human!" scolds she. "Did I not tell you before not to speak unless spoken to?! Ask _permission_ before addressing royalty, you stuck-up little punk!"

"Ow! S-sorry..!" Link hastily apologizes. "Er_ May I have permission to speak..?"

" _Humph._ Permission granted," Ruto responds as she returns to her sulk. "Now _what_ is it?"

Link falls into an awkward silence. He had not actually prepared anything specific to say.

"Well..?!" Ruto impatiently demands. "I gave you permission to speak. Now _speak!"_

"Uh... I just...wanted to know if you're okay, I guess..?" he awkwardly replies.

"Oh, you _men!"_ she says with a scoff as she palms her face in annoyance. "My brother just gets kidnapped by a monster...and all _you_ care about is trying to _schmooze_ me! How typical!"

"What?!" he exclaims in shock. "N-no..! I was just_!"

"Forget it!" she interrupts. "You may have been a help, but that does _NOT_ mean that I owe you my affections! And I have _NO_ interest in Hylian men, so don't even bother!" She lets out an exasperated sigh and turns her back to him, stomping her way towards the moat to put more space between herself and the Hylian whom she assumes is only trying to hit on her. "Besides... I have more important things to do than deal with any hormone-driven _maniacs_ thinking they can woo me... I need to figure out what I'm going to do!"

She sits beside the water to contemplate her options. Her emotions stirring within her, she tries hard to withhold her tears as she internally grieves over all that she has lost.

Link beholds her with ever-growing sympathy. He knows her loss. He feels her pain. He is not even upset with her for the wrongful accusations she has been making against him, nor for the unappreciative attitude she has shown in spite of the sacrifice he has made to protect her. He cannot be angry at a time like this.

He limps closer, still weakened greatly from the battle, and stands beside her while still respecting her space. "I was not trying to hit on you..." he gently reassures. "But that's beside the case... What do you plan to do now..?"

"I don't know yet, okay?!" she rudely snaps. Her harsh tone was uncalled for. She quickly realizes this and repeats herself more softly with an exasperated sigh; "I don't know..."

Rude though her response was, Link still takes no personal offense at her. His pity for her has left him with no room for anger.

She gazes with despair into her reflection in the water. The stains of tears are plain to see upon her face. "I am now the last heir to the throne of Zora's Domain..." she continues somberly. "I need to get back home as soon as possible to alert my people about the Devastati's takeover and get ready to lead them to fight back... But... Junior..."

She takes a pause. Her fists clench and fins flap as she begins to tremble in an emotional breakdown.

"...I can't just leave him behind for that stupid Acheman Champion to abuse and manipulate!" she exclaims with an enraged sob. "And yet...what _can_ I do..? Bloodvore said he'd give me only half an hour to challenge him if I want to save my brother...but I know better than to fall for _that_ obvious trap! That hairy buffoon has already proven that he doesn't fight fair! He probably won't even keep his word and is likely already sealing Junior into subjection by now anyway! But how am I supposed to go back and face my people once I've told them how I had to abandon my own brother just to save myself? They'll _never_ think I'm worthy to lead them!"

Having vented her devastation, Ruto falls quiet as she mentally counts her woes while fighting back tears to the best of her ability.

Silence fills the air.

Ironically enough, Link is the one to break the silence;

"It isn't safe here..." the disheartened Hylian says softly. "More monsters could pop up at any second... I'd recommend getting out of town as soon as possible before they have it under complete lockdown."

"But...what about Junior..?" Ruto asks somberly.

"I understand how much you want to take your chances to save him..." Link sympathizes. "But like you said; Bloodvore's offer is obviously just a trap. And your people need you to return to them in one piece before this ' _Devastati'_ strikes your own domain... It'll be easier for you to escape if you go now while those villains are still expecting you to turn up at the Central Square."

"So I'm just supposed to leave my brother behind without even _trying_ to save him because it's too risky?" Ruto asks begrudgingly as Link begins to walk towards the remains of the fallen monsters.

"No..." the young Hylian reassures, collecting a quiver of arrows from a deceased Bokoblin. " _I'll_ go to the Central Square and see what can be done about your brother."

Ruto looks to him with disbelief. "What..? _YOU?!_ Are you serious?!"

Link merely nods and continues to scavenge the battle's wake for supplies.

"That's ridiculous!" she scoffs. "You can't possibly expect to beat Bloodvore and his ambush on your own! Especially not in the weakened condition you're in now!"

A unknown voice suddenly calls out;

"Ahaha! Of course he can't!" the stranger laughs condescendingly. "Even _without_ being in such a weakened state, a pipsqueak like _him_ doesn't stand a chance!"

Link and Ruto both jolt in alarm. " _Eep!_ Who said that?!" the princess exclaims as they both ready their weapons.

They look around, but see no one.

 _*Fwoosh!*_

A small shadow swiftly passes over the pair. It is followed immediately by a young man landing on his feet before them, seemingly dropping straight from the sky itself. He wears a brown tunic and a dark hood. His eyes are as red as blood, his hair as white as wool despite appearing to be only around seven years or so older than Link himself. His most notable trait is the scarlet tattoo shaped like a bird's foot over his right-eye.

Although this is the first time either Link or Ruto have seen him, he is the very same lad met by the Goron on the castle's rooftops. The former apprentice of the mysterious Crow.

"... _I,_ on the other hand, could storm _multiple_ strongholds of the Devastati's forces single-handed without breaking a sweat!" says the arrogant youth upon landing.

Only to take a lash from Ruto's magic whip.

 _*Snap!*_

"Ow! What th_?!"

"You insolent maniac!" scolds the truculent princess. "Don't you know not to approach nor speak to royalty without permission?! And beside that, you just scared the _carp_ out of me! What kind of freak just drops out of the air like that?! And just how long have you been lurking about and eavesdropping on our conversation anyhow?! Explain yourself at once, you scaleless rapscallion!"

Link keeps his bow aimed at the mysterious stranger in precaution in case he tries anything shady.

The young man is briefly taken aback by Ruto's unexpected response. "Er_ A thousand pardons, milady!" he hastily apologizes, trying to keep his composure and not look bad. "I mean you no offense! But I couldn't help but notice your situation and thought that you might desire the aid of a far more _competent_ warrior than that little _loser_ over there in green."

 _Owch._

Link gives him a displeased look at the sound of these condescending words. A part of him wishes to fire a warning shot over this obnoxious narcissist's head, but he maturely refrains from doing so.

 _He may be right, anyhow.._

"Oh?" says Ruto, unimpressed. "And just who are _you_ supposed to be..?"

The mysterious lad gives a confidant smirk. He replies with a gentlemanly composure laced with an obvious hint of narcissism;

"Allow me the pleasure of introducing myself..."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Up next is the final chapter of this episode. It is there that this mysterious and arrogant newcomer will finally be identified... But what are his intentions? Stay tuned to find out!**


	50. 5-10 Lark

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 5: Fish Out of Water_

 **Chapter 10** **  
** _Lark_

"Allow me the pleasure of introducing myself..." the young man says smoothly as he gives Ruto a gentlemanly bow. "The name is _Lark._ But _you,_ Princess, can just call me... _'my hero',"_ he finishes with a wink.

Ruto is not impressed. "I think I have a much greater mind to just call you _'stupid'..._ " she bluntly retorts.

"Oh please, Princess..." Lark confidently persists; "I only mean to do you a favor. After all, I happen to be a warrior of exceptional skill that _far_ surpasses that of any Devastati champion. If you ask me nicely...I was thinking I might lend you my power against that chump Bloodvore who seems to be giving you so much trouble. -Unless, of course, you actually _want_ to entrust such a delicate operation like this into the klutzy hands of _this_ useless greenhorn..." he says as he gestures condescendingly towards Link.

Link says nothing, but shakes his head and sighs as this _Lark_ fellow's attitude. He is just like Volker; speaking nothing but praise for himself while belittling anyone else whom he considers possible _'competition'_ in his goal to impress a princess.

Ruto looks to Link and then to Lark. Neither one of them holds any favor with her, but she cannot deny that recruiting assistance may be her only chance at saving her brother right now.

Even if that assistance _is_ undesirable.

"And just _why,_ pray tell, should I be any more trusting of _you_ with this..?" she asks Lark suspiciously. "For all I know, you may very well be working with the Devastati yourself!"

"Relax, milady!" Lark replies. "I can assure you; I'm _not_ with those losers. On the contrary; it can be said that I am the sole greatest threat standing in the way of their organization! More Devastati forces have probably fallen to my mighty Windcleaver Katana than to any other blade..!"

Upon saying this, he draws his said katana to show it off for the Zora princess to see. Currants of elemental energy course through swerving 'veins' channeling the power of air through the curved blade. Lark confidently demonstrates its power by swinging this katana in a downward thrust.

 _*Swipe!*_

A gust of wind emits from the blade, creating a vertical slash of air that flies forward as a cutting projectile attack.

...Right in Link's direction.

 _*Whoosh!*_

The green-garbed Hylian quickly jumps to the side to narrowly avoid the projectile that was _'accidentally'_ sent his way. The slash of air keeps going and cuts the bough of a tree clean off as if the blade itself had made contact.

 _*Slice!*_

Link gives Lark a vexed look. _That demonstration could have been fatal..._

Ruto remains unimpressed with Lark's display. " _Hmph._ So you have a katana that can manipulate wind to attack, do you?" she says somewhat indignantly. "I'm sure _that_ must have been a costly investment..."

"Greatness never comes cheap, milady," Lark continues to gloat to Ruto. "But even without this power to cut down targets from afar, I am confident that you'll find my swordsmanship to be in a league of its own once you've seen it for yourself."

"Well, I should _hope_ you would hold _some_ sort of adequacy if your weapon of choice would be something so breakable as a _katana!"_ Ruto says with an unimpressed scoff. "Crafting weapons that can use magic doesn't come cheap, and the katana is one of the _least_ durable blades in existence! Honestly, if you're going to invest so much in forging a magical weapon, it's just common sense that it should be one that you can expect to last a long time and not break after one good hit from a heavy flail or warhammer!"

"Well, I'll admit I never expected the Princess of the Zora to be so knowledgeable on weaponry," Lark comments. "But no opponent to face me ever lasts long enough to land a blow against me _or_ my blade, and I'm not afraid to take my chances. What can I say? I like to live dangerously! -Which brings us back to the point..." Lark pauses briefly to give Ruto another gentlemanly bow before continuing in a more seductive tone; "For _you,_ fair princess, I would gladly defy the dangers and fight against that Acheman Champion in your stead. I only await to hear the command from your own sweet voice..."

"Spare me the flattery," she replies with an annoyed eyeroll. "I have no interest in human men. Nor do I need _any_ man to fight in my stead! I am fully capable of_!"

"Moblins!" Link alerts as three more Moblins approach, cutting the conversation short.

Lark remains calm. "Perfect," says he. "Now you can see my power for yourself."

"Oh, shut up and fight!" Ruto retorts as she readies her own weapon. "It's just three against three, so this shouldn't be too_"

 _*Whoosh!*_

Before she can finish her sentence, Lark shapeshifts into a bird and flies straight towards the incoming Moblins!

Link shoots one with an arrow as it comes close...while Lark instantaneously changes back into a human once he is behind the remaining two and knocks them both down simultaneously with a spin attack from behind.

Before Link or Ruto can react, he swiftly decapitates both Moblins single-handed in quick succession while they are down.

 _*Slice! Slice!*_

He then cuts in front of Link to deliver the finishing blow to the Moblin he had shot down before the young Hylian can.

 _*Stab!*_

Ruto and Link both stand baffled at Lark's ability. "Did he just...transform into a bird..?" the Zora asks in astonishment.

"Why, yes. Yes I did," Lark answers calmly. "And I also just slew _three_ Moblins single-handed before your pitiful excuse of a recruit there could dispatch even _one."_

"Yeah, yeah. I saw," Ruto says begrudgingly. "So just what the halibut _are_ you anyhow?! -Aside from being a complete _showoff_..."

Lark explains; "I am a descendant of the Sheikah tribe, with the blood of legendary Hylian heroes thrown in the mix, granting me power from _both_ bloodlines...and more. Shapeshifting into a bird is just _one_ of my many unique capabilities."

"A Sheikah descendant?" Ruto remarks. "Then you must serve of the Royal Family of Hyrule?"

"No, Princess, I am independent of my ancestors' ways and serve only myself. I've never been too fond of the idea of living beneath anyone, abiding by rules that I didn't make."

" _Hmph._ Well if you don't serve royalty, then _why_ are you so insistent on offering me your assistance?"

A devilish smirk covers Lark's face. "I have my reasons..." he replies while impurely eyeing her figure. He slowly walks nearer as he continues in a seductive tone; "Although I don't serve royalty by official order, that doesn't mean...that I'm above making exceptions if I choose... _Especially_ if there's such a gorgeous damsel as yourself involved..." He stands invasively close, much to Ruto's displeasure. "You obviously have need of a real man right now who can get his hands dirty for you...and I don't mind getting my hands dirty... So perhaps, after this is all through..."

The hooded degenerate whispers something into Princess Ruto's ear. Link knows not what it is, but he has a pretty good idea that he would rather keep it that way. Whatever it is, Ruto approves not. She makes this clear with her response.

 _Very_ clear.

Specifically, with a knuckle-sandwich.

 _*Pow!*_

"You disgusting, lecherous philanderer!" roars the infuriated princess upon punching her offender in the face. Her fist is thrown with so much force that the impact knocks him stupid and sends him falling backwards into the moat with a splash. "To even _think_ of saying such raunchy things to a _princess!_ Of all the disgraceful remarks I have received from countless perverted men, that is _by far_ the most disgusting yet!"

Although he typically does not approve of expressing oneself through such violent actions, Link cannot blame Ruto at all for punching Lark. Nor can he help but slightly enjoy seeing the degenerate take such a well-deserved blow of karma.

 _He totally had that coming to him..._

Groggily, Lark surfaces from the water. " _*Cough!*_ Ohh, mY hEAd... MayBE thAt waS a lItTLe...tOo sOon..?" he says with a dizzy groan.

" _Humph!_ Don't even bother asking to be lent a hand in getting out of the water!" Ruto snaps as she turns her back to him. "There's nothing you can possibly say now that's going to make me bend down and help pull you out of there!"

"Huh? What's _this_ thing?" Lark says groggily upon finding something in the water. "Some kind of blank scroll..?"

 _Scroll..?!_

Ruto immediately rushes to the waterside upon hearing this. She extends her magic whip down to Lark for him to take hold of. "Don't just float there! Grab on!" she commands him. "Let me see that scroll!"

Although confused by Ruto's sudden offer for help, Lark complies without question and takes hold of the blue cord extended to him. Upon pulling him out from the moat, Ruto immediately snatches the scroll he found from his hand.

And lets him fall back into the water again without a care.

 _*Splash!*_

"The Scroll of Insight!" she declares to Link. "Junior must have dropped it just before being abducted by Bloodvore! And look! He even managed to scan that creep before he nabbed him! The Ache and Acheman entries have both been restored to the compendium!"

Link looks upon the scroll. Sure enough, the data is there. the two entries read the following:

 _"Ache:  
Although not among the strongest of monsters, these bat-like shapeshifters are very cunning. They feed on blood -mainly preferring that from humans- to grow in power and gain the ability to assume their victims' appearance after consuming enough from that individual, making them efficient spies and earning them the nickname; 'The Eyes of Evil'."_

 _"Acheman:  
A more dangerous form that grown Aches can assume after growing powerful enough, although they typically still spend most of their time in the form of a standard Ache to conserve energy. This hominoid shape, although less aerodynamic, possesses hands to wield weapons with during combat and is even capable of spewing offensive projectiles from the mouth."_

"With this, we'll be able to keep an eye out for any hidden monsters that Bloodvore has stationed nearby before he can call them in to ambush!" Ruto exclaims. She then sets the scroll to search for Zoras and points it off in the distance. "That way! Bloodvore is holding my brother surrounded by Aches over there! We'll have to quietly pick them off first before moving in for the rescue!"

Link notices something is off. " _That_ way..?" asks he. "But the Central Square should be directly _south_ of here... Unless..."

"Huh? You mean_?"

Realization hits them both immediately.

"That lying scumbag!" Ruto exclaims. "I was right about it being just a trap! He's trying to set me up to challenge him at the Central Square while his underlings _really_ have Junior held captive in a different location entirely!"

"It's hard to say for sure with a blank map, but from what I can tell; it looks like the real location they're holding your brother at is out in the woods behind the temple somewhere..." Link remarks.

"I think I know _exactly_ where that is," Ruto concurs. "I just came from there not too long ago. It's just a small hideout without any real defenses; obviously just a temporary encampment that they had set up at the last minute. It shouldn't be too hard to infiltrate, and Bloodvore will no doubt be expecting me at the Central Square, so now will be the best time to strike while their defenses are still low!"

Lark, struggling to pull himself from the water, speaks up; "I beg your pardon, Princess, but you don't mean to say you're trusting _that_ greenhorn to assist you over _me,_ do you?!" he says upon plopping onto the land and pulling himself to his feet. "I already told you I'd fight for you. And I think it's pretty obvious who here is most worthy of this task, don't you think..?"

He stands before her trying to look as cool and composed as possible.

...In spite of the fact that he is absolutely drenched head-to-toe and still unable to keep himself fully steady at the moment. With a seductive look in his eyes, he gives her the most confident and charming half-smile he can muster.

His tooth pops out.

 _*Plink!*_

"Obvious indeed..." says an unimpressed Ruto. "Now leave my sight, Birdboy! I have no desire for the aid of such a lecherous degenerate!"

"Wha_?! But...didn't you see how great my power is..?!" says an astonished Lark. "My assistance could mean the difference between success and failure for you! You can't possibly expect to suffice with just _this_ guy backing you up!"

"He's right..." Link reluctantly admits. "We're going to need all the help we can get if we want to stand a chance at saving your brother... And this guy _has_ proven to be a very competent warrior..."

"Ha! Even _he_ admits it!" Lark gloats.

"_Such as is is..." Link finishes with an eyeroll.

Ruto heaves a reluctant sigh. "Fine... He can help for now..." she begrudgingly agrees.

"I knew you'd make the right choice, Princess!" says Lark, about to place his arm around Ruto's shoulder.

_Until being stopped in his tracks as the bladed end of her rod is held to his throat. "But you have to obey my _every_ command, keep your filthy hands _off_ of me, and your disgusting remarks to _yourself!"_ she warns sternly. "Is that clear?!"

"Ah_! Don't worry about a thing, milady!" Lark reassures, trying to remain cool and composed.

"We really should get going," Link reminds. "We've already taken up too much time... You get somewhere safe and wait for us there. Leave on your own for Zora's Domain if we don't make it back with your brother in time."

" _Or_ just let me take care of it all _myself,_ " Lark insists. "I highly doubt there'll be any need for _this_ simpleton to stick around at all as long as _I'm_ fighting for you! I'll have that Acheman Champion's head bagged before _he_ even gets started!"

"No..!" Ruto assertively protests to both. " _Neither_ one of you lowborn humans will be fighting in my stead!"

Link and Lark are both taken aback by this response. She looks to them authoritatively, her violet eyes burning with determination.

"This is _my_ fight, and I'm going to _fight_ it!" she adamantly insists. " _You two_ are merely coming along to _assist_ me!"

* * *

End of Episode 5: _Fish Out of Water  
_ To be continued in Episode 6: _  
 **Royal Rescue**_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! And now that mysterious new character has finally had his name revealed to be _'Lark'_. I found it fitting to name him after a bird just like his former master is named ' _Crow',_ which reflects their mysterious ability to transform into birds. But the reason I chose _Lark_ over any other bird's name is because it sounds similar to ' _Link',_ which reflects the rivalry he has towards the latter. That's right; the role Lark will play in this story will be to Link like Shadow the Hedgehog is to Sonic, or like 'Pittoo' is to Pit in _Kid Icarus: Uprising._ (Except that poor Link has no idea why Lark is so antagonistically competitive towards him...although it _will_ be explained eventually)**


	51. 6-1 Staking Out

~SilentN

 **The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit** _  
_ _Episode 6: Royal Rescue_

 _The truth behind the assault on the royal family of Hyrule has been revealed, but now an innocent child has been kidnapped, and with only half an hour to free him, Link and Princess Ruto must rely on the aid of this mysterious and arrogant stranger by the name of Lark. His skills are undeniably formidable, but can he really be trusted?_

* * *

 **Chapter 1** **  
** _Staking Out_

A note from Professor Flat's research on the Scroll of Insight:

 _The Royal Library of Hyrule Castle holds perhaps the largest collection of knowledge in all the world. Not necessarily to say it has the largest collection of books, but because it houses one particular item that holds more knowledge than an entire chain of libraries ever could;_

 _The one and only Scroll of Insight._

 _The existence of this one-of-a-kind artifact is one that is best kept quiet about, and one must first be granted royal approval before they can be permitted to even view it, but certain scholars like myself who are trusted by the royal family may access the legendary Scroll of Insight in the Royal Library freely whenever it is needed to aid in research. -And what an invaluable aid for research it is!_

 _Made by the ancient Sheikah using an unknown technology lost today, this single scroll holds a seemingly endless record of data covering every known life-form, location, magic-spell, and much, much more. Its surface appears blank when not in use, but when held between one's hands, it will reveal whatever contained knowledge the holder wills to see. Not only this, but new information can continue to be added and outdated data can be updated anytime, making the scroll an unlimited output of knowledge like no collection of books can emulate._

 _Yet for as remarkable as all this is, the scroll's capabilities do not stop there. On the backside is an eye-like pattern not unlike the tribal symbol of the Sheikah. This "eye" seems to be able to replicate a true eye in that it can visually behold whatever it is pointed at, but it even goes even beyond that with its ability to instantaneously capture true-to-life images of whatever it scans. These captured images are then stored within the scroll's records and can be added to its compendium for visual reference. It even has the incredible ability to sample the aura of virtually anything it scans, which it can then track via its mysterious drowsing capability._

 _As a member of the Sheikah tribe myself, I feel as honored as I am intrigued to know that my ancestors were able to create such an unimaginably useful artifact. The Scroll of Insight has been the most invaluable study tool I could ever imagine. My research flourishes whenever I have the opportunity to use it. However, such an opportunity can be scarce at times, as the one-of-a-kind scroll is seldom not in use._

 _It is quite unfortunate that the technology behind this ever-useful artifact has been lost. Not even the greatest minds among our modern Sheikah have been able to crack the case behind the mysterious ways of the ancients to replicate our ancestors' handiwork. Perhaps the scroll was crafted with the direct aid of the gods? None can be certain. The only shadow of a clue we have been able to piece together is that it hold some unclear connection to the ancient Gossip Stones scattered throughout Hyrule._

 _But with no way to recreate this irreplaceable artifact, it is no surprise that the Scroll of Insight is under strict order to be kept well-guarded at all times. I could not bear to imagine the incredible loss every scholar in Hyrule would suffer if this only one in existence should be lost, damaged, or stolen!_

 _Hopefully, no evil thing will ever happen to it. The Scroll of Insight is a blessing that cannot be replicated..._

* * *

The sky a dark gray as the last glimmer of daylight grows swallowed up by night, two figures stake out in the shadows of the woods not far from the Temple of Time. One is a Hylian garbed in green, the other a regal Zora in a pearl-white toga.

They dare not venture too close to the temple itself just yet, as it now lies heavily guarded by the Devastati's forces. It weighs heavy on Link's heart to find that the sacred place he has long visited for peace and healing of his soul is now in such a terrible state of desecration.

 _What kind of awful sacrilege does that evil wizard have in store for this holy place..?_

Ruto, on the other hand, could not care less about that. Her reverence for the deities of Hyrule is not the strongest, to say the least. Nor is her empathy for the denizens of Castle Town as great as it once was. Her only real concern right now is to save the last of her family before it is too late.

 _If_ it is not too late already...

Lark is present not. Ruto had sent him on ahead to reconnoiter in his inconspicuous bird form in case there are more enemy types on guard than what the Scroll of insight is capable of detecting in its current condition. She has learned from her previous mistake and now knows not to rely too much on its monitoring abilities in this state, lest they be caught unprepared for another undetected enemy as before.

Of course, she still trusts Lark less _far_ than she could throw him. She had scanned him with the Scroll of Insight before sending him off and is keeping an ever-watchful eye on it to monitor the Sheikah descendant's movements, lest he try anything shady while away.

"Looks like Birdboy just took down a few Aches..." she mutters to Link as they lay low in wait for Lark's return. "He had better not be drawing out any attention before we get the chance to strike! And he had better remember to save some of those freaks for _me!_ This is _my_ fight, after all! -Oh, yeah. And he also better not forget to bring back those life-potions like I ordered him to. We're going to need those to get back in decent fighting-condition before we can take on any more monsters. I just hope that creep doesn't try anything funny... I still don't trust that maniac!"

Link silently agrees. Lark clearly cannot be trusted.

However, since he did have obvious interest in gaining favor from Princess Ruto, it seems unlikely that he would attempt to harm her right now.

Violate her, maybe. But not harm her.

What he might do to Link, however, is another story entirely. The young Hylian could sense great hostility towards himself coming from the mysterious Sheikah descendant, though he has not the faintest notion what the cause of such hostility may be.

Still, for as untrustworthy as this Lark fellow may be, he is their best chance at rescuing Prince Zora Jr. Perhaps he will at least cooperate long enough that they can successfully pull this off together.

"Oh! I just remembered something!" Ruto exclaims. "There should be a Gossip Stone in front of the Temple of Time. It _may_ be able to restore some functionality to the Scroll of Insight if we can get to it. It's a little out of the way, but it could make infiltrating this encampment that much easier."

Link gives her a puzzled look.

Ruto notices his confusion. "What..?"

"What's a _'Gossip Stone'_..?" asks he.

"Don't you know? They're those weird stones with the eye-like pattern carved into them. They are supposedly connected to the Sheikah and are said to be able to pass on knowledge somehow. It's said that the Scroll of Insight was made with the same magic as them, which is why it holds so much information."

Link realizes the princess speaks of the odd stone he always saw near the temples entrance.

 _So that's what it is? A 'Gossip Stone'?_ _Good to know._

Ruto continues; "Anyway, once Birdboy comes back, we'll have him case the temple area and see if there's an opening between the guards. If a path can be breached, I'll have the two of you cover me from afar as I sneak in and sync the scroll with the stone. But whatever you do, you must _not_ allow him any knowledge on the scroll's functions! That is classified information that I do _not_ trust him with!"

Link nods in understanding.

Ruto checks the scroll again for Lark's movement. "He has taken down a few more Aches..." she says with a sigh. "At least we know he really _isn't_ with the Devastati. But that still doesn't answer even _half_ of my questions about him. He is quite suspicious, that one..."

The two continue to wait for Lark to return. There is a moment of silence between them.

It is getting somewhat awkward...

Ruto decides to break the silence; "By the way, _Hylian..._ " she says indignantly to Link. "I hope you're not getting any ideas and thinking that _you've_ won my trust or favour. I may be less wary of you than I am of Birdboy, but that does _not_ mean I have faith in _you_ either! The only reason I am working alongside _either_ of you shady humans is because it is my only shot at saving my brother right now. Understood?"

Link knows not how to reply. He merely nods again, despite still being perplexed by her attitude.

She continues observing Lark's movements on the scroll, grumbling to herself as she does; " _Hmph._ Humans! You can never let your guard down around them... I still can't believe those stupid Hylian soldiers actually _attacked_ me when I was just trying to_ Wait..!"

She raises her eyes from the scroll and quickly turns back to Link again after recalling something of significance. "I almost forgot..!" she says to him. "When Bloodvore shapeshifted into an impersonation of me, you said something about having seen him use that disguise in the castle, didn't you?! What happened?! Tell me the details at once!"

"Um. Well..." Link momentarily stammers, unsure where to begin.

It looks like he will have to bring himself to speak again...

He takes a breath and proceeds with the story. He tells her all about the fake Zora princess -whom he knows now was Bloodvore in disguise- and how it attacked the Royal Family with powers unnatural for any Zora, turning its victims to stone.

Listening intently, Ruto sits in silence. So much is beginning to make sense to her now.

"...And then the faker disappeared into a dark portal," Link finishes. "That's the last I saw until encountering Bloodvore in his true form on the rooftops a moment later. Although I had no idea at the time that _he_ was that fake Zora princess I just watched attack the Royal Family..."

Ruto reflects on the story. "So _that's_ why those guards attacked me when I made it back to the castle..." she mutters quietly to herself. "I guess that makes more sense than just being mad that I left my confinement..."

Questions regarding Princess Ruto's previous encounter with Bloodvore flood in Link's mind. As long as he has already spoken this long, the young Hylian decides he may as well inquire;

"Um... If I may ask... What _actually_ happened to you during that attack? How did you end up_ You know..."

"Well, I suppose there's no harm in sharing my story while we're waiting for Birdboy to finally finish up this simple task..." Ruto responds, her eyes upon the scroll again with an annoyed huff. "It looks like _Mr Macho_ is still taking his sweet time picking off insignificant grunts by himself anyhow."

Letting out a sigh, the Zora princess recounts her side of the story to the Hylian beside her;

"It started immediately after Zelda's ceremony..."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Sorry for having to end this so abruptly. The conversation between Ruto and Link ended up much longer than I intended, and even after I cut a lot of dialogue to shorten it, it was still too much for one chapter, so I had to split it in two. This was the best point I could find to split it at...**


	52. 6-2 Ruto's Story

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 6: Royal Rescue_

 **Chapter 2  
** _Ruto's Story_

Letting out a sigh, the Zora princess recounts her side of the story to the Hylian beside her; "It started immediately after Zelda's ceremony, when I was chained up in the dungeon again..."

This catches Link by surprise. "The... _dungeon_..?" the puzzled Hylian asks, confused as to why the Zora princess would have been down there and in chains.

"Yeah, King Roark and I had a little _'disagreement'_ after I had called him out on his unfair methods of leadership," Ruto nonchalantly explains. "He can never admit when he's wrong, so he always just yells at me to apologize for not giving in to him and then punishes me when I don't. -It happens all the time."

Link is at a loss for words. _She says this so casually..._

"Anyway..." Ruto continues, explaining the following story;

"I was chained up in one of the cells when Bloodvore found me. He was disguised as a human at first, but I still knew there was something off about him... The way his eyes gleamed through the darkness seemed like a pretty good pointer that he was something unnatural.

"At first he tried being nice to me to gain favour; breaking me free of the shackles that had bound me; returning the Rod of Jabuni to me after it had been confiscated by the King's order; praising my skills as a warrior... But I could tell right away he was just looking to manipulate me. People are always most flattering towards you when they plan to use you.

"He told me about the Devastati, claiming it to be a _'revolutionary movement'_ to establish a more favourable government, and offered me a position in their ranks. As the Princess of the Zora, he believed I would be valuable to their goals and promised me great power if I joined; both political _and_ magical. He even went so far as to claim that I would have Zelda _and_ Roark beneath me...

"Naturally, I was suspicious. I knew that whatever he was up to couldn't have been anything good. But I decided to play along and fake approval so he would go on to spill the details.

"When he saw how seemingly cooperative I was, he went on to tell me about the attack they were about to launch that would bring Castle Town under the Devastati's control. I pretended to support their actions and acted eager to join them...and then struck him by surprise while his guard was down!

"But he was stronger than I thought... He revealed his true form and magically summoned reinforcements to his side in an instant. Achemen appeared from his dark portals and surrounded me in the dungeon cell I was locked in. -I suppose it'd only make sense for him to have a backup plan ready if he was willing to free me from my shackles and return my weapon to me _before_ even making his offer for me to join them.

"But he underestimated me. He thought I had nowhere to go, but as his Achemen appeared from his portals, I attacked one and leaped through the portal it came from myself just before it closed.

"It brought me to their encampment in the woods outside -the same encampment we're heading for right now- where his idle troops waited in preparation for the upcoming battle. None of them were expecting an armed Zora to show up, and so I got the jump on them and struck a few down before they knew what hit them!

"But I couldn't stick around to fight, of course. I was outnumbered beyond counting and Bloodvore and his battle-ready goons were still right behind me. I just hit whoever got in my way and ran. After fighting my way towards the water, I was able to lose them...but not unscathed;

"Bloodvore caught up to me just before I made it to the canals. I couldn't fight both him and his minions at once on my own. He managed to knock me down and bite at my arm, leaving me with an open wound. I could feel a malefic energy course through my entire body the instant his fangs pierced my flesh, rapidly draining my life-force and stiffening my muscles. But I was able to throw him off of me using my Hydros spell just in the nick of time before it could take effect.

"I was bleeding pretty bad, but I made it into the water while he was dazed and swam my way upstream to where the canals connect to the castle's moat. I wasn't very familiar with all the crisscrossing waterways, so by the time I found my way back to the castle again, it was too late to warn anyone about the Devastati's attack; they had already executed it.

"My wound was painful, but I had to get in there and fight. I knew from Bloodvore that the Devastati was targeting the Royal Family, and that they were going to cast a spell on the castle once they've raided the place of everything they wanted and lured all the soldiers in at once. I had to get word out for _everyone_ to clear out -both guest and soldier alike- before the spell was cast and the Hyrulean Unit was trapped... But..."

Ruto pauses briefly. Thoughts of the traumatic experience and her inability to do anything about it cause her to tremble slightly.

"But those _stupid_ Hylians..!" she continues in frustration, withholding a sob as best as she can. "They never let me say a word! The very instant they saw me, they just started screaming things like; _'There's the traitor!', 'Kill her!', 'Don't let her get away!'_ and came after me with swords and spears! Completely ignoring what I had to say and even prioritizing killing _me_ over the attacking monsters! If they would have just let me say something, I could have warned them about what was about to happen! But no; they had to go and _chase me off_ like their worst enemy! And now the entire Hyrulean Unit is sealed away -along with _my father_ and a number of my own people- all because they were too hot-headed to stop to think that _maybe_ they were mistaken!"

Link recalls the moment after his first encounter with Bloodvore when he saw the Zora princess fleeing from the guards with an open wound as he was leading the guests back through the castle. Looking back on it, he realizes that was the real Ruto being blamed for Bloodvore's previous assault.

Taking a breath and holding back her tears, Ruto continues; "Anyway... Being injured yet, I was in no condition to defend myself when those Hylians attacked me. I managed to escape the castle by smashing through the window and retreating into the moat below, which is where I found my brother in hiding. He healed my wound with his power and told me how the servants had rushed him out of the castle as soon as the monsters struck and had him hide in the water while they went back in for Father...since he's grown much too fat to even walk on his own these days... Although my injuries were healed, there was obviously no point in going back into the castle again with the monsters _and_ Hylians out to kill me. And I couldn't just leave Junior alone to fend for himself since I didn't know if the Hylians would also target _him_ too like they did me. So I decided to wait with him and inform our fellow Zoras about what the Devastati was about to do when they came back with Father. ...But they never came out of the castle, and_ Well... You know the rest of the story from there..."

Link looks to her with even more sympathy than ever before. He can only imagine how difficult this all must be for her.

To have come so far with enemies on her tail trying to kill her, to have finally made it back to her allies in spite of her open wounds and tried to warn them of the imminent danger threatening them all...only for them to unexpectedly turn and try to _kill_ her without her having any idea why at the time... Such a harrowing experience would be traumatizing for anyone.

And although she may be trying hard to stay strong and hide her pain, it is clear now that this incident has left her even more emotionally scarred than she is willing to show...

 _If only he had taken that opportunity he had to shoot and expose her impostor when he had the chance..._

"I'm so sorry..." he says to her.

Ruto feigns indifference. "So tell me, human," she says to him aloofly; "You witnessed firsthand Bloodvore's onslaught under my impersonation, yes?"

Link nods.

"Then what was the outcome of it?" asks she.

"No one was able to best him..." Link answers. "Everyone who tried to apprehend him was turned to stone..."

"That's not what I mean!" Ruto impatiently snaps. She then quickly regathers her composure and goes back to acting aloof. "I mean... What became of the Royal Family when he attacked..?"

"King Roark and Queen Amaranth were both turned to stone as well, I'm afraid..."

"I see..." says Ruto, showing no visible concern.

A moment of silence follows.

Ruto takes a breath as if to speak again...

But quickly shuts her mouth without a word. Link wonders if there is still something more on her mind... Something she is afraid to ask.

She finally speaks up once more; "So..." she begins to say, seemingly hesitating; "How_ Er... What has become of..."

 _*Flap! Flap!*_

The moment is interrupted; Lark has returned at last.

"Have no fear! Your hero is here!" he loudly proclaims as he makes his entrance, changing back from his bird form. "...And I brought the potions as you requested, milady!"

"There you are!" snaps Ruto furiously. "Do you have any idea how long you kept us waiting?!"

"Well, it's nice to see I was so missed!" Lark flirts. "Were you afraid you wouldn't see my handsome face again?"

"Don't flatter yourself, birdbrain!" Ruto scolds as she snags the potions from his hands. "You are in enough trouble already! I told you to just scout ahead, retrieve some potions from their supplies, and then return here _immediately!_ There isn't a reason in the world why it should have taken you this long!"

"And I did all that you asked, milady...and more! The only reason I was delayed is because I was busy picking off some enemies to make infiltrating easier for you. I easily took out half of them single-handed!"

"And if you had just done what I asked and returned _on schedule_ instead of wasting time on those insignificant grunts, then _all three of us_ could have taken down those very troops in just a _third_ of the time!" Ruto angrily retorts. "Didn't I tell you we're on a tight time-budget?! And now we have only a few short minutes left...thanks to _you!"_

"Er_ Well..." says Lark sheepishly. "I was only_"

"SHUT IT!" Ruto snaps. "I haven't the time for your idiotic excuses! Now just get straight to the report; did you see my brother?"

"Yes! He was shackled to a tree and guarded by a troop of monsters..!"

"Good. At least we know where he is then. And did he have that _'Seal of Subjection'-_ thingy anywhere on him yet?"

"Er_ Not that I noticed..?"

"You mean to tell me that you weren't even paying attention?! You're useless!"

"H-hey..! It's dark out, okay?! At least I cleared out half their troops for you! Show some appreciation!"

"Forget it..!" says Ruto as she palms her face with an exasperated sigh. "Just tell me what kinds of monsters you saw so we can get on our way..."

"Mostly just Aches and Ropes, but there where also a few Bokoblins and Wosu," Lark answers. "I already took care of a lot of them, though."

"Well, if Junior _hasn't_ been sealed yet, we only have a few more minutes to rescue him before he _will_ be..." Ruto states. "So there isn't a moment left to waste! Birdboy! Greenie! I'll need you two to cover me while I make a quick stop near the Temple of Time as we pass it, and then we head out at once to rescue my brother! Come! We leave immediately!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Once again, yet another chapter has ended up way longer than I would have liked it to be and had to be split in two, but at least it's done. Now we know what really happened to Ruto after she was met by Bloodvore in the dungeon, and the next chapter will be the start of the quest to rescue Prince Zora Jr. Personally, this next chapter is one of my favorites. You'll soon see why. ;)**


	53. 6-3 Twilit Assault

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 6: Royal Rescue_

 **Chapter 3  
** _Twilit Assault_

Standing tall in the dark twilight towers the great and holy temple made of stone.

The Temple of Time.

Long standing as a place of worship, a symbol of providence, a connection between man and deity; the magnificent temple now looms in desecration as evil Darknuts patrol the grounds while the Devastati takes the place over.

The armor-clad hellions stand vigilant; ferociously alert for any humans who dare to approach the holy place and get in the way of the Devastati's plans operating within. None who tread upon these grounds under their watch will be overlooked.

Not even that pesky bird that continues to relentlessly annoy the steam out of them as they try to focus on their guard-duty.

"Graah!" yells an annoyed Darknut in frustration as it swings its blade around, trying exasperatedly to shoo away the vexatious bird that keeps swooping down in its face.

 _*Whoosh! Whoosh!*_

The bird is too swift. No blow comes close to landing on the flying pest. The Darknuts grow increasingly annoyed.

 _Why can't this stupid thing just leave them alone?!_

Flying from Darknut to Darknut and relentlessly pestering each one of them, the obnoxious bird quickly becomes the exasperated hellions' main focus of attention at the moment. The Darknuts turn their gaze above, watching out for where this avian pest will swoop from next.

Being so distracted by the annoying creature flying about, they remain oblivious to the regal Zora stealthily making her way to the Gossip Stone in the temple's shadow...

"(Birdboy's distraction is working rather well...)" Princess Ruto thinks to herself while sneaking about through the twilight. "(Looks like he really is proving to be a useful help after all. ...Not that I'd admit that to him, of course. He still gives me the creeps."

Reaching the Gossip Stone without much difficulty, the Zoran princess quickly scans it with the Scroll of Insight and restores another entry to the compendium. It reads the following;

" _Gossip Stone:  
Ancient stone carvings of mysterious structure said to house a familiar spirit. These sentient monuments keep watch over all events in their surrounding area and pass on the immense knowledge they absorb to those able to awaken them. They sometimes like to reveal more information than appropriate, however..."_

Although recovering the stone's data is a welcome gain that should prove useful in making it easier to locate other Gossip Stones in the future, it provides little help at the present if it does not restore the scroll's lost map. Ruto continues trying to sync the scroll with the stone to get the data she needs, but there seems to be no response.

With time running short and her patience quickly wearing thin, the truculent princess strikes the dormant stone with her rod in frustration.

Oddly enough, the Gossip Stone reacts to the blow in the most bizarre manner that one would never expect from a structure made of rock...

It bounces like rubber.

 _*Boing-g-g-g-g..!*_

The Gossip Stone seems to activate. Its eye begins to flash. Ruto holds the 'eye' of the scroll to the eye of the stone. A baffled countenance is soon replaced with a satisfied smirk on her face as the area map is extracted and registered to the scroll.

Her objective complete, she withdraws to the shadows of the nearby trees once more, stopping only briefly to scan a Darknut from behind its back. The recovered data contained in the scroll reads the following;

" _Darknut:  
An incarnation of dark-magic inhabiting a suit of armor. The Darknut is believed by some to be a physical manifestation of the brutality and malice that commonly builds within the hearts of battle-worn knights of whom it retains their combat skills. It wields great physical strength and is never without its armor, but becomes weak to light if said armor is removed."_

Putting the unsuspecting Darknuts behind her, Ruto successfully retreats back into the woods without detection. Link awaits her there out of sight, keeping watch for Devastati troops while she was out to collect the desired information from the Gossip Stone.

"I got it!" Ruto whispers triumphantly to him upon her return. "The map of Castle Town has been restored!"

She shows him the scroll. A map of Castle Town's geography is displayed in astoundingly up-to-date detail in spite of how old the Scroll of Insight and Gossip Stone both presumably are. Every building, road, and even tree is perfectly mapped with precise accuracy.

"They're holding my brother hostage right _here_..." she continues, pointing to the part of the map where Prince Zora Junior's aura is detected. "We only have a few short minutes left to rescue him, so let's not waste any more time..!"

Peering out from the surrounding trees and bushes to make sure no enemies are currently looking, she raises her rod and waves it as a signal to Lark that it is time to move out. Seeing the signal, the bird ceases tormenting the nearby Darknuts and flies on ahead.

The young Zora and Hylian follow the map to their destination not far from reach. They meet up with Lark near the Devastati's encampment in the woods.

The arrogant Sheikah descendant greets the Zora princess with his usual boastful tone; "So I see my diversion did the trick for you, eh, milady? As expected."

"Stow it. I haven't the time to listen to your narcissism," Ruto replies indignantly.

"I was only_" Lark begins to say. He is quickly cut off.

"Now listen closely, both of you," Ruto interrupts. She cares not the slightest of what nonsense Lark has to say and wishes only to get straight back to business. "We haven't any room for slip-ups. With how much time has been wasted already -all thanks to a _certain someone_ here who had to go and take his sweet time hogging all the kills to himself instead of focusing on the simple task I assigned him!- Bloodvore will likely be returning any minute now, and we know he has a portal designated to this location that he can use to instantaneously warp here whenever he pleases, and so we will have to act fast if we want to avoid him...for now, that is."

Lark scoffs. "At least I took down _most_ of the enemies in your way for you..." he mumbles.

"We now know where they are currently holding my brother," Ruto continues with her eyes on the scroll, intentionally listening not to Lark's words. "We don't know if he's been sealed yet or not -again, all thanks to that _same someone_ not doing his job right and forgetting to check _like I told him to_ \- so there's no guarantee that rescuing him is even an option anymore, but we have to try. There are still a lot of monsters surrounding him yet, and only three of us to combat them. We're going to have to operate stealthily to pick off their numbers as much as possible before we go in for the rescue. Fortunately, we hold an advantage in being able to locate them before they even know we're here, but this currently only works on Aches, Bokoblins, Moblins, and Darknuts. Any other monster types will have to be located by our own senses."

Lark grows curious. "So how does looking at that scroll tell you anything?" inquires he, attempting to look over Ruto's shoulder. "Wasn't it just blank..?"

"None of your business!" Ruto retorts. She swiftly holds the scroll away from her shady companion's view. "Now stay focused! You said you saw Ropes and Wosu present, yes?"

"Yeah, but I took care of most of them already."

"Any other monsters..?"

"None that crossed me."

"Good. The fewer the better. Now, Birdboy! You lead the attack from the skies. Stay close, and caw when you see any enemies other than the four types I mentioned that I can locate myself. Greenie! You stay by my side. I will require assistance in dealing with multiple foes at once. Does everyone understand the plan?"

Link nods in agreement. Lark, however, seems less approving.

"Wait_ You're having _him_ guard you, princess..?!" asks the jealous Sheikah descendant. "Are you sure you'd rather not a more _competent_ man as your protector?"

" _No_ man is my protector!" Ruto insists with a scoff. "I am perfectly capable of fending for myself! But right now, there are simply too many enemies for one Zora alone to handle, so I have accepted the temporary assistance of you humans -for as undesirable as it may be- to merely _aid_ me in battle at the moment while reinforcements are a necessity. You will _both_ be covering me, but I have no need for anyone's personal protection! - _Especially_ not yours!"

"So I see..." says Lark. Although annoyed, the clarification seems to somewhat satisfy him knowing that Link at least is not upstaging him.

His eyes still lock onto the other with scorn and contempt, however. Link understands not why, but it is clear that Lark sees him as competition of some sort.

"Now, enough talk!" Ruto orders. "We strike now... Let us kick some Devastati bum!"

"Your wish is my command, milady..." Lark says to Ruto, though not quite putting as much exuberance into trying to flatter her this time. His thoughts are on another goal at the moment...

Link is uncomfortable with the competitive look Lark gives him. "Stay safe..." the young Hylian says kindly to his shady ally, hoping to let him know that he holds no hostility towards him and still cares for his well-being just the same as he would any other associate.

Lark remains unmoved. "Don't bother trying to outshine..." he whispers with contempt. "The spotlight has room for only _one_ hero...and a weakling could _never_ fill that role."

Without another word, he changes into a bird and flies ahead.

Link is left speechless. _So Lark assumes he just does this all for the glory of heroism?_ Perhaps this should come as no surprise, as that seems very much to be this Sheikah descendant's own motive.

No matter. He could not be more wrong. Link's objective is neither to gain glory nor to impress royalty. Not at all...

His objective is to rescue a kidnapped child. To keep another life safe. To prevent anyone else from suffering a loss like his own.

And for that cause...he will give his life.

_Or rather; what is now left of it...

* * *

A campfire burns dimly in a clearing among the trees. Five Bokoblins sit around it as another keeps watch. They discuss the sudden decrease in their numbers.

"Me finded other guys' remains out back..." says one Bokoblin, holding a tigerskin loincloth collected from a deceased ally. "Me claimed dibs on cool pants."

A second objects; "No fair! Me wants cool pants too!"

"Meh. Not my problem..." replies the first.

Behind the oblivious Bokoblins' backs, a bird swoops in. It flies in close to the one keeping watch and changes into a human wearing a dark hood and brown tunic.

Within a single motion, he strikes their lookout with his katana without even touching the ground.

 _*Slice!*_

The unsuspecting fiend is decapitated before even knowing it was attacked. Its assassin flies away as swiftly as he struck.

The remaining Bokoblins notice not. Their conversation resumes;

Bokoblin 2: "Did other dead guys have cool pants?"

Bokoblin 1: "Not cool as this."

Bokoblin 2: "Then me wants it!"

Bokoblin 1: "Too bad. Finders keepers."

A third Bokoblin speaks up; "Why are other guys dead..?"

Bokoblin 1: "Not know... Not care... Me gots cool pants now."

Bokoblin 2: "Not for long..."

Bokoblin 1: "What you say?!"

Bokoblin 2: "Uh... Nothing..!"

 _*Thwack!*_

Another Bokoblin of their group takes a sudden arrow to the back of the head while its companions' backs are turned. Its skull impaled, it perishes instantly.

Still, the others remain oblivious. They continue to converse unaware;

Bokoblin 3: "Should we worry about other guys being dead? Maybe assassin out there!"

Bokoblin 1: "Meh. Not my problem..."

Bokoblin 4: "You stupid! We notice by now if assassin was here!"

The fourth Bokoblin then notices the withering carcass of its fallen ally seated right nearby.

Bokoblin 4: "Huh? Oh hey, how long he been dead..?"

Bokoblin 2: "Weren't he alive just earlier..?"

Bokoblin 1: "Meh. Not my problem..."

Bokoblin 3: "Maybe assassin got him!"

Bokoblin 4: "Stop being stupid, Stupid! Me been sitting next to him this whole time! Me would notice if assassin got him! Me always alert!"

 _*Thwack!*_

The second Bokoblin is shot down and killed as the fourth is speaking. They still fail to notice and continue;

Bokoblin 3: "Then why he dead now? He not dead before!"

Bokoblin 4: "Maybe he was... You just not paying attention."

Bokoblin 3: "Me _always_ pays attention! Me would notice first if anybody be already dead!"

Bokoblin 1: "Yeah, 'cause then they lie stiff like me brother there."

"Huh..?" The third and fourth Bokoblins turn to see their other fallen companion whom the first points out.

Bokoblin 4: "He dead too now?"

Bokoblin 3: "When'd _that_ happen?"

Bokoblin 1: "When arrow fly from back and hit his head."

Bokoblin 3: "What?! You saw arrow kill him?! Who shooted it..?!"

Bokoblin 1: "Not know... Not care... Me go try on cool pants now."

The first Bokoblin gets up and calmly walks a short distance away to change into his new loincloth. The remaining two bicker behind him;

Bokoblin 3: "Now you see?! There _is_ assassin out here! Finds them!"

Bokoblin 4: "Me sees no assassin! You just stupid!"

Bokoblin 3: "Oh, yeah?! Then who shooted that arrow..?!"

Bokoblin 4: "Not assassin. That for sure. Me always alert. No assassin can_ _Gah!"_

 _*Slash! Slash!*_

The two Bokoblins are interrupted and swiftly slain as a Hylian and Zora emerge from behind the nearby trees, striking the unsuspecting hellions dead before they can react.

Swiftly and silently, they retreat again behind the trees as the last Bokoblin returns to the scene. "Me thinks me looks _SMOKIN' HOT!"_ says the oblivious fiend as it comes back to show off its new tigerskin loincloth to its peers.

Looking around, it soon deduces that something is not quite what it was when he had left.

 _Hmm._

After a brief moment of staring at the withering carcasses of its peers, the last living Bokoblin at last figures out the difference. "They dead too now..?" he says with realization. "Meh. Not my prob_ _Ack.._!"

 _*Stab!*_

"That was so easy I almost feel guilty," says Ruto as she pulls her weapon from the fallen Bokoblin's back. "... _Almost."_

Link quickly collects a few more arrows from their deceased foes' nearby stash. There are still many more enemies ahead.

Lark calls out in the form of a bird;

" _CAW! CAW!"_

"That's Birdboy's signal," Ruto remarks. "New enemies ahead; stay alert!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!** **Now, just to be clear; a lot of the information stated in the Scroll of Insight is merely what I have taken the liberty of making up, not necessarily official canon. Nintendo has never been very specific in the details regarding their game universes, so I'm just kind of filling in the gaps with some of my own headcanon, such as the Darknuts being manifestations of brutality and malice from battle-worn knights. (It's not implausible though, since Darknuts have indeed been implied to be incarnations of darkness on more than one occasion, and so I just expanded on that.)**


	54. 6-4 Ruto Strikes Back

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 6: Royal Rescue_

 **Chapter 4** **  
** _Ruto Strikes Back_

Crates and battle-equipment lay about in the town woods where the monsters have set camp. The sky is gray as stone as the final traces of daylight fade fast into the dark of night. A tearful Zora child, injured and frightened, is bound tight to a tree. No treatment for his injury is offered him, and not the faintest glimmer of compassion is to be found in the heartless monsters who hold him captive.

In fact; they even seem to take _delight_ in the cruel pain of injury that this innocent child has been left to suffer in addition to his confinement.

 _Oh, if only his healing powers worked on himself!_

"Please..." begs Prince Zora Jr to his tormentors, tears shedding from his frightened eyes. "I just ask for something for my arm... I think it's broken...and these shackles are too tight on it..! Please... Can I just have some painkillers for it or something..?"

A Wosu standing guard looks to the boy with annoyance. The annoyance seems to quickly fade, however, and is replaced with a smirk instead.

The kind of menacing smirk that can only mean something nasty.

 _Uh oh..._

"I guess I can do _'something'_ for it..." says the lupine hellion as it licks its chops with fiendish glee. "Here... Lemme give ya just what ya asked for..!"

Zora Jr immediately regrets his request. The look in this Wosu's eye makes it clear that this _'something'_ it intends to do for his injury is nothing favorable.

_The fact that it has just taken its wooden club into its palm gives a pretty clear indication of this as well...

 _*Wham!*_

The little Zora prince wails in pain as the vicious Wosu strikes a cruel blow against his already-injured arm while the other monsters laugh on. The pain is unbearable.

"Oh, I'm sorry..." the Wosu sarcastically taunts. "Did ya say ya wanted _painkillers..._ or _KILLER-PAINS?_ The boss always did say I was bad at following directions..."

"I said _'painKILLERS'_ and you know it..!" sobs Zora Jr.

"Too bad!" snarls the Wosu. "I'm not gonna give ya what you _want_...I'm gonna give ya what ya _asked_ for! And yer annoying whining sounds like askin' for _PAIN_ to me! So lemme just give ya s'more..!"

"No! Please..!" The tearful prince begs helplessly. "I'll be quiet! I'll be quiet..!"

"Oh? Didn't ya like it before?" taunts the Wosu. "Ah, well. Maybe you'll get used to it after a few more blows...'cause _I'm_ sure likin' it already..!"

The Wosu raises its club again for the next blow slowly and licks it chops before it strikes again, as if savoring the moment as frightened tears pour down its helpless victims panicked face. The surrounding monsters cheer with glee as they watch the abuse about to unfold.

But the blow lands not...

" _Hydros!"_

A radiant glyph bearing the symbol of the Zora has appeared beneath the attacking Wosu's feet. From it, a column of water rises and lifts the fiend into the air just before it can strike.

 _*Sploosh!*_

Arrows fly and slashes if wind are projected into the crowd of monsters before they can react. Panic ensues throughout the encampment. A regal Zora darts through the turmoil with enough rage burning in her violet eyes to send a legion of dragons cowering.

She runs straight into the column of water gushing the Wosu into the air with its powerful torrent. Leaping in, she allows the water-pressure to lift her directly into her target with her rod's blade erect, skewering the fiend as she ascends.

 _*Slice!*_

"So you like inflicting pain, do you?!" Ruto hollers at the Wosu as she attacks it from atop the pillar of water. "Let's see how much you like _receiving_ it!"

Zora Jr raises his tearful eyes, which he can barely believe. "Ruto..?!" says the prince in awe. Hope and worry alike fill him as he looks upon his sister fighting for his life.

Even though it should be clear to both of them that the odds of survival are not at all in her favor against such numerous foes.

"With you in a minute..!" says Ruto as she furiously stabs her foe in the gut from atop the water.

Repeatedly.

Even after the helpless Wosu is already reduced to nothing more than a smoldering carcass.

* _Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab!*_

" _No one_ wrongs a royal Zora and lives to take another breath, you flea-infested freak of darkness that's too hideous to be allowed to even happen to exist!" she hollers with full rage before tossing the obliterated Wosu's remains down to its panicked allies below.

"Get her!" screams another Wosu, taking up arms to fight back.

_Before taking an arrow to the back of its skull from Link.

 _*Thwack!*_

Monsters scurry about, frantically running to collect their weapons to fight back with against the sudden intrusion. Arrows and wind-slashes strike several of them down from afar. None were expecting such an ambush. They blow their horns to alert for reinforcements;

 _*HOOOOOOOOMM!*_

...But barely any reinforcements even hear the call. Most have already been slain.

Still, there are many monsters yet at hand. Too many to be picked off before most of them are able to arm themselves. Ruto had rushed in too soon for Link and Lark to properly get the jump on their enemies as planned. They are outnumbered by at least four to one.

Multiple monsters close in around Ruto. The column of water she stands upon is about to die down.

The Rod of Jabuni gleaming radiantly in her hand, she leaps down into their midst and strikes. "Make way for royalty..!"

 _*Slam!*_

A mighty shockwave, like a raging splash of water, emits from her strike upon collision. The surrounding foes caught within the blow are swept off their feet and hit the ground in daze.

Lark, in the form of a bird, swoops through their midst. Returning to his human form, he rapidly cuts his targets down with his Windcleaver katana as he passes them before swiftly changing back into a bird again to circle around and repeat the hit-and-run process. "Not even a challenge!" he gloats between strikes.

As the other two warriors continue to attack relentlessly, both so focused on obliterating their enemies that they show no concern over the potentially grave danger they have thrown themselves into, Link keeps an ever-watchful eye on their backs as they fight on. With his bow, he shoots down any and every monster that comes too close to either of his two allies. The darkness makes precise aiming difficult even for an ace shot like himself but he can still see enough to know where his enemies are at.

 _*Twang! Twang! Twang!*_

Although the monsters still hold the advantage in numbers, the combined efforts and skillful tactics of the three warriors is quickly bringing those numbers to a rapid decrease.

But that does not stop them from persisting.

"Stop them..!" calls a paranoid Bokoblin. "They come for our awesome underpants!"

They horde around Ruto with weapons in hand. She seizes a dormant sword with her magical whip and begins to swing it around like a flail. Her surrounding enemies are forced to keep their distance. "Come closer! I dare you!" taunts she.

Many Rope serpents attempt to close in on her from down low. Link shoots away at them as they get near, not allowing them to live long enough to touch her.

 _*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*_

But he cannot keep this up for long. His enemies are closing in on him faster than he can snipe them down with his bow. The young Hylian draws his sword and shield to defend himself.

But this leaves his allies with no one to cover them...

"Princess! Look out..!" he warns.

With the Ropes drawing closer fast, Ruto quickly hurls the sword into the chest of an approaching Wosu before casting her glyph beneath herself and using her water-spell to gain elevation; " _Hydros..!"_ She stands atop the column of water, buying herself but an instant of time to escape to venomous serpents trying to bite her ankles. "Birdboy! A little help here..?!" she calls to Lark before leaping down and striking her enemies from above with a shockwave once more.

 _*Slam!*_

"No problem..!" says Lark confidently. He lands a few yards away and begins to channel power through his blade...

And then releases it against the monsters in a mighty slash of wind.

 _*Whoosh!*_

Several Ropes are cut in two. Wosu and Bokoblins are tripped and fall to the ground. Ruto proceeds to fight back as Lark again charges energy through his blade.

But this time for a different attack entirely...

His katana gleams with power. The air around him stirs. His red eyes stare down the approaching monsters attempting to rush upon him. "Step aside, milady!" he says to Ruto. "Watch as I finish this..!"

"Don't tell _me_ what to do!" Ruto scolds while trying to avoid her enemies' attacks. " _I'm_ the one leading this_ _WHOA_..!"

Lark's power is released. Just as his enemies are within an arm's reach of him, he unleashes a furious spin-attack against them all.

But not just any spin-attack...

The turbulence from the swirling air around him extends the duration of the spin beyond what any human should be physically capable of naturally. He spins into his opponents with the force of a raging tornado. Ruto leaps out of the way as majority of the remaining monsters are severed in his path.

 _*WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH..!*_

Very few monsters draw breath any longer. Lark's attack has obliterated every single one that came into contact. Those few who survived scamper in panic.

The Sheikah descendant drops to his knee from using up his stamina. "Piece...of...cake..!" he pants, trying to conceal his fatigue.

Link is awed by the mighty attack that was unleashed. He knows very well what hidden skill Lark just demonstrated...

And nearly takes a blow from a Wosu he was just fighting while distracted by it. _Yikes!_

 _*Clang!*_

Blocking the attack with his shield, he counters with his sword and finishes the fiend.

Ruto, too, can hardly believe her eyes. "Did you...just..?" she says to Lark in awe.

"...Perform the legendary Hurricane Spin-attack?" Lark finishes for her. "One of the most powerful hidden skills that only a handful of the greatest swordsmen in history have ever been able to master..? Yes. Yes, I did... Impressed?"

Ruto merely scoffs. " _Hmph._ Yeah, yeah. Whatever..." she says begrudgingly. "Showoff..."

With her enemies' numbers reduced she quickly takes this opportunity to scan a Wosu with the Scroll of Insight as her two companions finish the last of them. The recovered data reads the following;

 _"Wosu:  
Although not particularly strong individually, these lupine hominoids band together in clans to cause mayhem in numbers. Where one Wosu is seen, multiple others are never far behind. They are known to raid villages and take everything that can be taken, leaving no spoils behind."_

With that out of the way and her enemies either scattering or deceased, the Zora Princess rushes to her chained brother's side. "Junior..! Are you alright?"

"R-Ruto..." sobs the frightened prince. Tears of fear, of pain, and of relief all fall from his eyes. "I... They_ _Ow!_ _I think my arm is broken! It hurts real bad and I feel so dizzy..!"

"We'll worry about that later! Have they sealed you yet..?"

Zora Jr shakes his head. He is still in much pain and trauma.

"That's a relief, at least!" says Ruto. "Now keep quiet! We need to get you out of here before Bloodvore returns! Where's the key for those shackles..?"

A sinister voice speaks up from behind; "I believe you're looking...for _THIS?!"_

All eyes turn towards the shadows. The three warriors hastily ready their weapons. Their hearts beat violently against their chests in trepidation.

 _*Thump! Thump! Thump!*_

From the midst of the darkened woods...the figure of an Acheman approaches...

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!** **And just in case anyone doesn't know what the _"Wosu"_ are; they're those pesky enemies that come at you in a never-ending supply throughout the halls of the palaces in _Zelda II: The Adventure of Link,_ rewarding you with no exp. at all after being defeated...but will cause you to _lose_ some if they manage to land a hit. They haven't appeared again in any other game since, so it's perfectly understandable if they sound unfamiliar to you (especially when you consider the fact that their actual name is never stated within the game itself).**


	55. 6-5 Elite Power

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 6: Royal Rescue_

 **Chapter 5** **  
** _Elite Power_

Link feels his heart skip a beat from fear of facing the deadly Lord Bloodvore again, and even Princess Ruto seems to tremble at the sound of the Acheman's approach.

 _Are they too late to escape him?!_

Their enemy steps out of the shadows. "It looks like the rabbit has entered the fox's den..." taunts he. "Won't the boss be pleased when he returns to see I've caught his prey for him while he was out!" He is an Acheman strong and menacing, clad in a vest of mail and radiating a strong aura of malefic power. He wears the key to Zora Jr's shackles on a chain around his neck.

But his appearance is vastly different from the Acheman they were expecting...

"Wait..." says Ruto. "You're not Bloodvore!"

And Bloodvore it is not. This Acheman has fur as red as fire, except on his hands and feet which are nearly black. The Devastati emblem on his forehead is silver rather than gold. He wields a single scythe with a blade shaped like a bat's wing instead of a pair of scimitars like Bloodvore tends to favor.

"Oh, how observant you are..." the Acheman sarcastically hisses. "But don't you worry. I'm sure he'll be returning any minute now _Princess_... since you were so rude as to not show up at the place of rendezvous where he's been waiting with the ambush he graciously plotted just for you! But in the meantime, I've been tasked with running the camp while he's away, and so _I'll_ be the one who_"

 _*Thwack!*_

The Acheman is cut off as he takes a sudden arrow from Link.

Followed by a slash of wind from Lark.

 _*Whoosh!*_

"OW! Hey! Not fair!" the hellion protests with a whine. "You're supposed to wait until I finish my cool monologue!"

"Don't care!" says Lark upon projecting another wind-slash.

"Get him!" shouts Ruto.

Frantically evading the incoming wind-slashes and arrows, the Acheman swiftly retreats back into the shadows. His wounds are minimal; it will take a lot more than a single arrow and wind-slash to significantly deplete the life-force of an Acheman as powerful as he.

Ruto calls out; "Come back here and fight, you cowardly buffoon! We're not finished until I have that key!"

"Ruto! Be careful with him..!" warns the shackled Zora Jr. "He's the leader of this camp...and the meanest of all!"

"The kid's not wrong," says Lark, displaying his first signs of any real caution. "This one's an _elite;_ he might not be as powerful as Bloodvore, but he's still a _much_ bigger threat than any normal Acheman."

"Ha! He's a coward!" says Ruto confidently. "Besides, elite or not; we can take him!"

"Don't let your guard down so soon," Lark warns, eyeing the surrounding shadows. "We don't know how many extra numbers he commands."

"What _'numbers'?"_ Ruto scoffs. "It's just _one_ Acheman!"

"Not for long..."

"Huh..? What do you_ _WHOA_..!"

A portal suddenly opens from the shadows. Several Aches come flying out and attack!

"Did you think Bloodvore was the only one who could do that?!" says Lark as the three warriors try to fend off the swarming Aches. " _Any_ Devastati elite has the power to summon! Not just their champions!"

" _Now_ you tell me!" says Ruto as she slashes down an Ache. "How do you know all this anyway?!"

The elite Acheman calls out; "Because he's a traitor of the Devastati!"

Emerging suddenly from the shadows behind them, the hellion swoops in on Lark with his scythe!

 _*Whoosh!*_

The Sheikah descendant evades just in time. He shapeshifts into a bird and escapes by flight.

The elite Acheman continues as he and his underlings pursue Lark through the air; "That meddlesome pest has done nothing but provoke the Devastati ever since he ran away those years ago after stealing some vessel of power from his mentor!"

Four Aches change into Achemen and surround and Ruto and Link while the others accompany their leader in pursuing Lark. Ruto uses her Hydros spell to lift herself and Link above their opponents to counterattack.

The elite continues about Lark while pursuing him; "The little scumbag likes to show up at the most inconvenient times...just to strike down some of our weaker monsters...steal some of our equipment...and then takes off again before anyone can catch him! A real coward if you ask me!"

Ruto and Link both leap down upon their targets beneath them with their respective weapons. Ruto's shockwave knocks down two of the Achemen while Link intercepts another that was aiming for her. He quickly kills the hellion by landing upon its head with his sword.

 _*Stab!*_

Larks circles around, a swarm of Aches on his tail, as he ascends skyward. His enemies flying up beneath him, he reverts back into his true form and drops down onto his pursuers in a freefall. In midair, he rapidly cuts them in two with his Windcleaver Katana as he descends.

 _*Slice! Slice! Slice! Slice! Slice!*_

Just before hitting the ground, he changes yet again into his bird form and flies straight into the backside of the last of the four Achemen fighting Ruto and Link. He turns back into a human once more and competitively decapitates the fiend before the two.

Making sure they both get to see it.

 _*SLICE!*_

He arrogantly calls back to the elite Acheman; "Just letting the old geezer see for himself that I have no need of your useless organization breathing down my back! I'd have you give him a little message for me but I suppose that'd be a little too much to ask...considering I'm about to take your life!"

Ruto and Link know not who nor what Lark speaks of, but now is not the time nor place to ask questions...

Not in the middle of a battle of life-and-death!

"So arrogant!" hisses the elite Acheman. "You may _think_ you're a threat to the Devastati, but you're not; you're nothing more than an annoyance! And it's time _someone_ put you in your place!"

"Bring it on!" says Lark.

Using his summoning power, the elite Acheman gathers another swarm of Aches to his side. "Get the traitor!" he commands them. "He's the most formidable target here! And capture the Zora...but keep her alive! We all know Lord Bloodvore doesn't take too kindly to someone else killing his victims before him! As for the little guy in green... Well, I doubt he's anything significant. Just do whatever... Oh! But I do get first dibs in drinking his blood after it's been spilled!"

Finishing his orders to his minions, he immediately rushes upon Lark. They are evenly matched. Weapons clash.

 _*Clang! Clang!*_

Ruto and Link try to attack as well but the Aches interfere.

" _Hydros!"_ summoning a column of water to lift herself upward, Ruto creates an opening for herself. She leaps over the swarming Aches and thrusts her weapon down upon the elite. ""Give me that key, fiend!"

 _*Slam!*_

The elite Acheman is knocked back. He immediately takes several followup blows from Lark.

 _*Slash! Slash! Slash!*_

The damage is great. But it is not quite enough to finish him just yet. The elite leaps away in between blows. He counters with a paralyzing screech.

" _*Screeeeeeeeeeeh..!*"_

Ruto and Lark are both thrown into a trance-like daze. They are rendered helplessly immobilized.

The elite charges energy through his scythe and rushes in to strike them both down at once. "See how _YOU_ like it..!"

 _*Whoosh!*_

The blow lands not. Link intercepts and parries the attack with his shield.

 _*Clang!*_

"Grah_?!" The Acheman is knocked back and loses his balance. Link quickly retaliates with his sword.

 _*Slash! Slash!*_

He is unable to finish his foe, however. Several lesser Aches intervene. Their heavily-wounded leader is able to retreat to the shadows.

Ruto and Lark snap to. They hastily rejoin the fight and fend off the swarming Aches.

"Coward!" says Ruto. "Stop hiding behind your minions and finish this at once!"

Lark hastily projects a wind-slash to slay an Ache headed in the elite's direction. "Don't let them near him!" he calls out. "The Devastati's emblems let them transfer power between one another! Target any Aches that get close to him before they restore his life-force with their own!"

"What?!" Ruto exclaims in between slashing down Aches. "You mean they can _heal_ him?!"

The elite Acheman's voice call from the shadows; "Grah hah hah! Yes! It's good to have minions working under you! You were clever to eliminate most of them before executing your attack; no doubt you three are responsible for the many assassinations I was out inspecting before coming back to find you laying waste to my camp just now, yes? You probably thought you wouldn't have to deal with as many numbers at once this way...and at any other hour; you'd be right! But you made a fatal mistake launching an attack at dusk..."

The three warriors are unsure what he means by this as they struggle to fight on. _What does attacking at dusk have to do with it?_

Their question is answered before they can ask it... The earth beneath them begins to shift!

 _*Creak..!*_

"My number of living underlings may have fallen short thanks to you..." the elite Acheman continues; "But that doesn't matter now that the sun has set..!" The silver emblem upon his forehead blazes intensely. A wicked smirk is on his face. "...Because when the sun sets...the undead _RISE!"_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Here's the first case of seeing an elite Devastati monster other than a Champion. If anyone reading this wants more details about Devastati ranks, I have created a reference sheet that showcases the Devastati's emblems and their meanings on DeviantArt. The Deviation is titled; _"Devastati Emblems",_ by "Silent-N" (note the hyphen, as "SilentN" was already taken by another user on that site).**


	56. 6-6 Return of the Slain

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 6: Royal Rescue_

 **Chapter 6** **  
** _Return of the Slain_

Trepidation fills the air. The Aches who have not yet been cut down scatter from their three targets and return to their leader's side, making way for the new wave of evil arising.

From the earth, a skeletal hand suddenly emerges.

 _*Creak!*_

Followed immediately by another.

...And another. And another still.

"Look out!" calls Link. He slashes down an emerging hand about to grab hold of Princess Ruto by the ankle.

The Zora princess jolts back in shock. "What in the world..?!"

Panic seizes the shackled prince as he watches. "Wh-what's happening..?!"

Lark leaps back and slashes down a skeletal hellion climbing from the earth. "Stal monsters!" he declares. "The enemies we've just slain are back!"

And Stal monsters they are. One after another, several skeletons of monsters fallen rise from the earth. Even the remains of the recently deceased enemies the three warriors have just slain begin to move. Though their flesh has already evaporated into darkness, their bones reanimate and rejoin the fight.

Ruto uses the Scroll of Insight to quickly scan one of the skeletal Bokoblins as it rises. The recovered data reads the following;

" _Stalkoblin:  
The skeletal remains of fallen Bokoblins able to reanimate after nightfall by the power of its determined hatred retained even after death...along with its undying attachment to fashionable underpants. Possessing no life-force, it is fragile and can be struck down in a single blow, but can infinitely reassemble itself so long as its skull remains intact."_

She scans the Stal versions of the many Wosu, Aches, Achemen, and Ropes as well and recovers their entries in the compendium which read similarly, though she has not the time to go over them. "They're everywhere!" exclaims she. "How could this get any worse?!"

The elite Acheman is laughing madly. "Grah hah hah! Say hello to my undead army, which has only grown now thanks to _you!_ Even after death, the forces of the Devastati remain under our command! ...And they have a _bone_ to pick with you for taking their lives!"

"I _had_ to ask..." grumbles a displeased Ruto as she begins to charge energy through her rod. "Now we have to deal with more enemies _AND_ bad puns? This is the worst day of my life!"

Link strikes two Stal monsters down in rapid succession. They fall rather easily.

 _*Slash! Slash!*_

He follows up rolling into the midst of several others. He cuts three down at once with a spin attack.

 _*Swoosh!*_

But by the time he finishes the blow, the previous two have already reassembled themselves. "They're reanimating..!" he calls out.

"Crush their skulls after cutting them down!" Ruto informs as she slams her charged rod forward, taking several skeletons down with a shockwave. "That's the only way to finish them!"

Link thrusts his sword into the wandering skull of a disassembled Stalkoblin she had knocked down. It shatters instantly, causing the rest of its bones to stop moving.

But he is unable to strike another. The other surrounding Stal monsters grant him no opportunity before the disembodied skulls return to their skeletons. He was lucky to land a hit on the single skull he was able to dispatch. "The intact ones keep getting in the way..!" says he, frantically trying to keep his enemies from closing in on him.

"Just keep fighting!" says Ruto. She uses her magic to take down her enemies in larger quantities than Link is capable of.

Only for the others to get in the way before she has the chance to crush the skulls of those she has struck down, granting the latter the chance to reassemble themselves.

As typical, Lark is the one putting up the best fight of the three warriors. He rapidly cuts down his enemies near and far alike with wind-slashes combined with up-close swordsmanship. Skeletons topple by the second in his wake.

But they, too, stay down not.

"Someone crush those skulls!" he calls to his allies while fighting off other Stal monsters trying to close in on him. "My hands are kinda full right now!"

"Easier said than done!" snaps Ruto, still fending off several Stal monsters herself. "They're not letting up!"

Although the Stal monsters fall easily, with their movements predictable and teamwork unorganized, but their numbers are simply too much for only three warriors to deal with at once. As some are cut down, several others continue to close in, forcing the warriors to have to fend them off with no opportunity to crush the disembodied skulls of the fallen ones before they can reassemble.

The elite Acheman merely sits back to enjoy the show from a safe distance. His lesser Aches swarm around him, each contributing a portion of their own life-force to help restore his own. "Struggle all you want, fools!" taunts he. "Burn yourselves out! Every time you knock down a Stal monster, they'll just get right back up and haunt you all the more! It's pretty convenient having soldiers who are already dead; I have no need to waste any more living minions on this battle!"

Ruto uses her magic whip to catch hold of a dropped sword. She flails it around to decapitate surrounding Stal monsters as they approach her.

 _*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*_

But the disembodied skulls are too low to the ground for the blade to hit. They roll their way back to their skeletons and reassemble once again.

"Nothing's working!" says the exasperated Zora princess. "We're barely crushing any skulls!"

Lark unleashes a powerful spin attack to flatten his surroundings. Stal monsters shatter within his range of attack.

 _*Swoosh!*_

Only for the others to close in once more, denying him the chance to destroy the skulls before the skeletons reassemble. "There's just too many to deal with at once!" he says while fending off the incoming foes. "Cut one down and several others take their place before you can finish off the first!"

"I can't even count how many times I've cut down the same stupid Stalkoblin only for it to reanimate!" Ruto complains between attacks. "We need a new plan!"

"(I've got plans to get outta here while I still can!)" Lark thinks to himself. "(Why am I still doing this, anyhow? I might like living dangerously...but not at _this_ kind of disadvantage! I hate to admit it, but this will be the death of me if I keep going! Though it'd be embarrassing to have to back out now...)"

Of the three warriors fighting for their lives, Link struggles the most. Unlike his companions, he wields no magic; he is incapable of holding his own against multiple foes at once like they are, making him far less useful in this fight than they. To keep himself from being surrounded is all he can do to survive.

But he cannot keep it up for long. None of them can.

Never, from the start, was he expecting to survive this mission, but he had hoped he could have at least granted his companions a shot at escaping alive -preferably with the Zora prince in their company- so that his own death would be for a good cause and not completely in vain. But it appears there is no hope for even that anymore...

One small slip-up and the numerous Stal monsters will overpower them in seconds, and if that is not bad enough; Lord Bloodvore is very likely to arrive at any moment now. The three warriors will stand no chance at all once that happens. Link can only pray that, by some miracle, an opening may present itself that could grant them an opportunity to escape somehow.

In the midst of the futile battle, the sound of something large moving through the woods arises. It is getting closer...

 _*Tromp! Tromp! Tromp!*_

...And now faster!

 _*Gallop! Gallop! Gallop!*_

It is the sound of hooves beating like thunder. They charge with increasing haste as if drawn to the scene of the battle.

Being backed towards the edge of the woods from whens the sound comes forth, Link alone notices...

It is right behind him!

Without even looking back to see what it is, the alert Hylian hastily leaps out of the way. Emerging suddenly from the dark of the woods behind him comes a skeletal centaur-like beast letting out a mighty roar!

" _RAAAARRRGH!"_

Some Stal monsters are inadvertently trampled in its path as its blade just barely misses its Hylian target. Ruto, Lark, and even some of the Devastati's forces jolt in surprise at this undead monster's sudden appearance.

Zora Jr's eyes widen with terror. "What _IS_ that thing?!"

Link knows _exactly_ what this new Stal monster is... He had just fought a living one less than an hour ago, after all;

It is the skeleton...of a Lynel.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! And so I leave you with yet another cliffhanger. LOL Am I mean or what? ;P**


	57. 6-7 Stalynel

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 6: Royal Rescue_

 **Chapter 7** **  
** _Stalynel_

In the dark of the evening woods, illuminated eerily by the nearby firelight, the skeletal man-beast towers in height over all the other Stal monsters. Lodged into the very bone of its hind-leg is an arrow protruding from the back of the knee, and another penetrates its shoulder.

The elite Acheman is pleased by the new arrival. "Well, isn't _this_ a welcome surprise! Right on time for the epic finale!"

Even Lark is secretly concerned about this new Stal monster. "(That's it! I did _not_ sign up for anything like _this!_ It's not worth risking my life over!)"

Ruto casts her Hydros spell to lift herself over her undead opponents upon a column of water and uses the brief moment of safety provided by the elevation to pull out the Scroll of Insight and scan this new foe.

" _Stalynel:  
A Lynel allows no victim to keep their life, and although very few manage to escape one -much less slay one- those who do will be remembered and forever hunted by its vengeful remains should the fallen man-beast take this form. By its undying hatred and determination, the Stalynel can reanimate itself no matter how many times it is knocked down as long as its skull remains intact, although it cannot maintain its form in daylight."_

"It's a Lynel" exclaims Ruto. "Watch out! It's_ _Ack!"_

Before the Zora princess can finish speaking or put the scroll back under her belt, the Stalynel furiously rushes straight towards her! It even tramples over some of its own allies in its path on the way.

Ruto quickly leaps off the column of water she stands upon to get out of the way. A monster this tall can reach her even with the elevation. "Somebody help me with this thing!" calls the Zora frantically as the skeletal beast pursues her.

Link immediately rushes after the undead man-beast, striking down a few disembodied skulls from the lesser Stal monsters it trampled in its blind rampage on his way (which quickly amounts to more than he was able to dispatch at all up till now), but the hordes of enemies intercept his path. "Lark!" he calls out. "Cover her!"

Lark hesitates. Stal monsters are closing in around him. He sees little chance for victory at this point...

He also sees the Stalynel knock Princess Ruto flying several yards across.

 _*Wham!*_

The Zora princess crashes painfully upon the ground several feet away from the fight. The Scroll of insight is flung from her grasp. Stal monsters approach her from all directions. Her young brother screams her name in panic;

"Ruto..!"

Approaching fast before Lark's eyes, the relentless Stalynel chases after its downed prey. More of its fellow monsters are trampled beneath its hooves as it rushes in.

 _*Gallop! Gallop! Gallop!*_

Desperate and determined, Ruto manages to cast her glyph in the undead man-beast's path. " _Hydros!"_ A column of water intercepts the Stalynel's charge. Its skeletal body is thrown into the air and shattered.

 _*Crash!*_

But Ruto is overpowered. The surrounding Stal monsters pin her down before she can do anything else. "Hey, Birdboy!" she calls to Lark nearby. "A little help here..?!"

The Stalynel is reassembling itself already. Lark strikes down some Stal monsters to clear an opening for himself. "Sorry, Princess," he says to Ruto. "I think I've risked my life enough already! You're on your own now!"

" _WHAT?!"_ exclaims the pinned Zora princess, panicked and infuriated. "You...coward!"

"At least _I_ know my limits!" Lark retorts as he grabs hold of the Scroll of Insight. "But don't worry! I'll take good care of this scroll you so covet! ...I'm not sure what it is, but I _assume_ it's useful if you seem to value it so much."

Changing into a bird, Lark collects the scroll in his talons and takes off. Ruto braces herself for the worst as the reassembled Stalynel charges forward.

But the Stalynel is suddenly not interested in Ruto...

" _RAAAARRRGH!"_

The skeletal man-beast's bloodthirsty gaze follows the bird carrying the scroll. It spews fire from its gaping mouth in attempt to shoot Lark down!

 _*FWOOM!*_

Lark is caught by surprise as an incoming fireball licks at his bird feathers in midair. He narrowly evades the hit but still loses a few feathers to the flames.

The Sheikah-turned-bird tries desperately to fly away as the projectiles keep coming. He steers left and right trying to dodge though he can barely see where he is going in this poor lighting.

Aches begin to fly after him. They quickly intercept his path with their numbers.

 _*Wham!*_

He is knocked down from the air.

Ruto is unsympathetic. " _Humph!_ Serves him right!"

The elite Acheman laughs heavily. "Ha ha ha! Isn't that typical of you! Acting all tall and mighty in front of a pretty girl...only to run away the minute the going gets tough! Once a coward; always a coward! Too bad for you birds can't see so well in the dark!"

Lark reverts to his human-form and quickly gets back to his feet. "I'm not finished yet!" he says as he draws his Windcleaver Katana.

Only to take a blow from the Stalynel.

 _*Wham!*_

The Scroll of Insight is dropped upon the ground. The Stalynel immediately collects it.

Lark crashes into the dirt. The elite Acheman charges energy through his scythe and comes swiftly upon him. Lark hastily raises his own blade in defense.

But to no avail.

 _*SLICE!*_

The charged power of the elite Acheman's scythe breaks the katana's thin blade in two!

"Called it!" Ruto shouts in the midst of the Stal monsters holding her down.

Lark is knocked back into a tree. His remaining life-force is left nearly completely depleted.

The elite Acheman smirks with satisfaction. "... _NOW_ you're finished."

Lark weakly raises his eyes to his tormentor. He attempts to speak but is unable to utter a single syllable; his breath has been knocked away.

"Shackle the Zora," the elite Acheman orders to his skeletal minions. "But _don't_ kill her! I can't emphasize enough how important it is to keep her alive until Lord Bloodvore has had his revenge. But as for the traitor; just hold him nice and steady for me..." The hellion pauses to lick his chops with twisted glee. "...As I slowly _bleed_ him!"

Link struggles to fight on as his allies fall. Overlooked and nearly forgotten due to his inferiority, the young Hylian is paid little to no heed by his enemies in favor of his seized companions. He is the only one still standing, yet he stands no chance of fighting his way through the horde of enemies between himself and the allies he wishes to free. Stal monsters continue to close in around him. He is backed further and further away to keep himself from being surrounded. Fighting his way through this is futile. It is all he can do to evade and defend to stall his inevitable defeat for as long as he can.

On one end of the battlefield, Princess Ruto resists her enemies as best as she can as her brother beholds with frightened eyes.

But her efforts are ultimately futile.

"Unhand me at once, you skeletal scum!" she demands. "How the halibut can you freaks have such a strong grip like this when you _literally_ have no muscles, anyhow?!"

On the other, Lark is held by more Stal monsters as the elite Acheman claws away at his flesh, blow after blow, trying to prolong the lad's suffering as much as possible. "Not so tough _now,_ are you, punk?!" the hellion hisses with glee.

Standing nearby, the Stalynel looks with satisfaction upon the scroll in its clutches. Although it has no facial features to bear a countenance, it seems quite pleased with its accomplishment. It barely heeds anything else.

And Link quickly deduces why...

If the arrows penetrating its bones from the backside are not a clear enough indicator already, he also catches sight of a hole punctured in the back of this Stalynel's skull; a remnant from the blow from Link's own sword that had ended this man-beast's life during its failed mission to obtain the Scroll of Insight just recently. It is only natural that this undead Lynel would be so determined to finish its unfinished business.

Which gives Link an idea...

* * *

 **Tanks for reading!** **Now, just to point out; no Stal version of the Lynel has ever actually appeared in any Zelda game so far, but given the fact that the Stal version of a Lizalfos in BotW is called the "Stalizalfos", I figure that the Lynel's would more than likely be called a "Stalynel", and so I took the liberty of using that name for this story. (Come to think of it; why _Isn't_ there a Stalynel in BotW, anyhow?)**


	58. 6-8 Disorderly Revenge

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 6: Royal Rescue_

 **Chapter 8** **  
** _Disorderly Revenge_

Dashing pass the countless enemies before him, the young Hylian daringly calls out to the undead man-beast from across the horde of Stal monsters closing in. "Hey, Lynel! Remember me?! I'm the guy you couldn't beat!"

The Stalynel looks up from the scroll and turns towards Link.

It recognizes him.

The Zoras watch in shock. _What does that crazy Hylian think he is doing?!_

Letting out an infuriated roar, the Stalynel charges straight for the Hylian without hesitation. Rushing forward with blind rage, it tramples everything in its path between itself and its target.

Including its fellow Stal monsters.

 _*Trample! Trample! Trample!*_

Link leaps out of the way just as the undead man-beast comes upon him. He ducks beneath its blow and dashes through the straight path it had inadvertently cleared for him before it can circle around again. He slices with his sword any disembodied skulls he passes as he goes.

The Stalynel comes to a halt. It turns around and runs after Link again. Skulls are crushed beneath its thundering hooves as it pursues its target.

His path wide open, Link runs to the elite Acheman beating Lark. The hellion turns around to face the commotion. "Huh? What th_!"

...And immediately takes a blow from Link's sword.

 _*Slash!*_

Hitting his foe, Link quickly leaps around the bat-like fiend...

Lining him up with the incoming Stalynel's charge.

The elite Acheman faces Link with its scythe in hand. " _OW!_ Why you little_!" it hisses angrily as it readies its weapon.

Before getting trampled beneath the Stalynel from behind.

 _*CLOMP!*_

Too focused on pursuing its target to regard any of the damage it has been inadvertently wreaking upon its own allies, the skeletal man-beast swings its heavy sword upon Link with a roar.

 _*Swoosh!*_

Being well-trained in the art of fleeing his opponent's attacks, the agile Hylian narrowly evades the blow by leaping backwards. Focusing tight, time seems to slow down for him -much like when he was facing the Darknuts in Hyrule Castle earlier- as he counterattacks. He lands multiple blows against the Stalynel's legs.

 _*Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!*_

The restrained Zoras watch in awe. Seeing for themselves the Stalynel's apparent grudge against this particular Hylian, they realize now that he really _did_ fight a Lynel for the scroll.

The skeletal beast falls apart. The elite Acheman is buried beneath its pieces. " _Gah!_ Minions! Kill this kid..!" he calls from under the pile of bones.

Enemies begin to close in on Link. A lesser Acheman spews a fireball at him.

 _*Fwoom!*_

Link focuses...

And parries it with his shield towards a Stalkoblin restraining Ruto!

 _*Pow!*_

The Stalkoblin is shattered. Ruto breaks free! "Finally!" she exclaims as she uses her free hand to strike down with her rod the others holding her back.

She rejoins the fight. Using her magic, she casts her glyph and intercepts some of the enemies closing in on Link with a column of water. " _Hydros!"_ She proceeds to cut down nearby enemies as they approach her.

The Stalynel begins to reassemble.

"Princess!" Link shouts before tossing Ruto the Scroll of Insight. "Catch..!"

She catches the scroll as Link quickly withdraws from the Stalynel's line of sight. She knows just what to do... "Hey, ugly!" she calls to the undead man-beast. "Looks like you dropped something!"

The reassembled Stalynel is enraged at the sight of the scroll back in Ruto's hands. It lets out a roar and charges furiously after her.

Blindly trampling its allies in its path once again.

The elite Acheman painfully gets back to his feet. "Hey..! Watch it...bonehead..!" he groggily calls to the Stalynel with an angered hiss. "You're trampling the wrong guys..!"

As the Stalynel comes close, Ruto tosses the scroll across the battlefield over the heads of several enemies. "Oops! There it goes..!" she taunts.

The Stalynel nearly wipes out as it comes to a panicked halt. It turns around and frantically runs through the midst of its fellow monsters after the thrown scroll. The said monsters are trampled in its path as it goes.

With their enemies' numbers rapidly wearing thin, Link and Ruto are finally able to dispatch the disembodied skulls of the Stal monsters they take down. Now able to do so without much interference despite being down one ally themselves. Outraged, the elite Acheman rejoins the fight himself. "Gah! Useless beast!" he hisses. "If you want something done right, do it yourself!"

His gaze locks back onto the nearly-dead Lark nearby. "But first...to put an end to _you.._!" He raises his scythe for the killing blow. "Old Crow taught you well, I'll admit... But now I'll teach you what he couldn't; what happens when you mess with the Devasta_"

 _*Slash!*_

Link interrupts the moment and strikes the elite before the blow can land.

" _OW!_ Not fair!" hisses the elite. "How many times do I have to tell you not to attack until I've finished my cool monologue?! Don't they educate young knights about chivalry anymore?!"

Link and the elite duel. But the Acheman holds an unfair advantage due to having minions backing him up. The battle lasts but a few seconds before the young Hylian takes a blow from behind.

 _*Wham!*_

"Ha! Why, you're no threat at all!" the Acheman taunts. "A pest, but not a threat! What were you even _thinking_ opposing the Devastati when you're obviously not even skilled enough to use magic?! Looks like you just don't know when to_"

" _Hydros!"_

"Aaack..!" The elite Acheman is interrupted and hurled into the air by Ruto's spell. "What's with you kids and not letting me finish..?!"

Link is given the opportunity to counterattack against the other monsters. He calls out as he does; "Hey, Lynel! Over here..!"

Having recollected the Scroll of Insight, the Stalynel turns its attention back towards the Hylian it so desires revenge against. Letting out another roar, it charges madly towards its target. Allies are trampled in its path.

Again.

 _*Gallop! Gallop! Gallop!*_

Letting the man-beast trample the rest of his enemies, Link evades its attack and swings himself onto its back. No longer having sensory nerves to feel with in its skeletal form, the confused Stalynel is slow to realize the Hylian's presence upon its back and searches about madly for where its target suddenly disappeared to. Link uses this opportunity to cut down some of the few remaining monsters from atop this deadly steed.

Her other enemies finally out of the way, Ruto engages the elite Acheman in combat. "Looks like you're running out of minions," she says between attacks. "I'll be taking that key now!"

"Don't get cocky, brat!" the elite hisses. "I won't go down as easily as these worthless underlings!"

Weapons clash. The two are evenly matched. Fire and water are projected between them as they exchange blows.

The Stalynel, meanwhile, realizes at last that Link is upon its back. It thrusts its blade over its shoulder in attempt to impale him. Link leaps from the undead man-beast's back just in the nick of time to evade. He hits it in the face with his shield as he leaps, turning its head backwards.

Seeing the Hylian standing before it, the Stalynel charges forward at full speed. Much to its confusion, each stride only seems take the charging beast farther and farther _away_ from its target. It has yet to realize that its head is facing the wrong way.

The elite Acheman spews fire at Ruto. "Your strength is running out, Zora!" he hisses between attacks. "You're about to taste the dirt!"

Ruto merely smirks and latches onto her foe with her magic whip. "No... _You_ are..!"

Lining herself up with the incoming Stalynel's path, Ruto quickly leaps aside and connects the other end of her magical whip to the beast's leg as it passes, linking the elite Acheman to the undead Lynel with the cord.

Unable to see where its going, the Stalynel keeps charging...

Dragging the elite Acheman through the dirt behind it! "Gyaaahh! Stop, you boneheaded nincompoop! Sto-o-o-op..!" he frantically calls out.

The Stalynel does stop.

...Once it hits a tree.

 _*Crash!*_

Its skeletal body shatters. The elite groggily gets back to his feet and looks to the Stalynel's skull with rage. "You useless buffoon!" he hisses before slicing the skull in two himself with his scythe. "You ruined _everything.._!" He raises his hateful eyes towards Ruto and Link. "As for _you.._! I'll admit I never would have imagined a couple of meddlesome brats could take down my troop...but I guess that only goes to show that I get stuck with all the incompetent ones! I may have underestimated you before, but I won't make that mistake again! I still have _more_ than enough power to take the both of you down right here and now! So prepare yourselves for_"

 _*Thwack!*_

Before he can finish, his head is impaled with an arrow from Link.

Ruto follows up. She decapitates the elite with a swing of her bladed rod.

 _*Slice!*_

The Acheman's headless body hits the ground. Cyan steam spouts from where the Rod of Jabuni's blade made contact as the carcass withers away into darkness. The few remaining Aches scatter in panic at the death of their leader.

Ruto collects the key from his remains, as well as the Scroll of Insight from the defeated Stalynel's. She also crushes the Acheman's skull now so that he cannot come back as a Stal monster. "Whatever gave that fool the idea his enemies will just sit around and wait to attack until he has finished his stupid monologue, anyhow?" she scoffs at her enemy's poor logic. "Who even _does_ that?!"

Prince Zora Jr looks on with teary eyes. "Ruto..." he sobs with relief. "I... I can't believe you actually..."

"Hush," says Ruto as she unlocks his shackles. "There's no time for chatter. We need to get going right now!"

"But...my arm..." weeps the prince. "I think it's broken..!"

"We'll take a look at it later!" hushes Ruto. "Bloodvore is likely to show up here from one of his portals at any instant! There isn't a second to waste! We need to go _now!"_ Lifting her brother onto her back, she hastily rushes him through the woods. "Greenie!" she calls to Link. "Let's move!"

Link runs to Lark's side to offer him help.

Lark refuses. "Don't touch me..!" he snaps.

"I'm just trying to help..." Link says gently.

"I don't need help from a nobody like _you_..! I_ _Ugh.._!"

Lark tries to act tough, but his wounds are severe. He can barely move.

"You're wounded..." Link points out as he helps him stand. "Just let me_"

Lark stubbornly shoves him back. "No! I can take care of myself..!"

Turning into a bird, he attempts to take off.

Only to crash on the ground in pain.

Lifting the bird in his arms, Link collects the broken pieces of Lark's katana and carries them both out through the woods after the Zoras. Lark tries to resist but ultimately lacks the strength to do so. He has no choice but to allow himself to be carried.

Not one minute after the group has departed, a ring of shadow and flame opens in the midst of the encampment. From it, Bloodvore emerges. He is not in a good mood.

"She never showed up!" he hisses aloud with rage. "I had sent minions out to search for that Zora in case she tried something like this, and even went out looking for her myself after she never came to the ambush I had arranged for her, and we _still_ never found her! None of the gatekeepers had seen any Zora try to escape town, and the rivers are all under lockdown as well, so she couldn't have just slipped town without anyone noticing! If I had known she was just going to disappear like this, I would have just finished her at the moat instead of dragging it out for... Uh... What happened here..?"

He looks around, finally noticing the empty state of the encampment. Bones lay broken, the prisoner is missing, and not a living monster is in sight.

"Oh, great..." The Acheman Champion lets out an exasperated sigh. "I should have known this was going to be one of those days!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! This has probably been my favorite fight scene so far.** **Anyway, I just want to say thanks for the great reviews, everyone! Admittedly, one of the main reasons I had been updating less frequently for awhile is because I was just kind of losing motivation to work on this, but the recent feedback has helped a lot with that. I might not be able to reply to _every_ review (most specifically; those from unregistered guests to whom replying isn't even an option), but I do read and appreciate them. :)**


	59. 6-9 A Parting Decision

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 6: Royal Rescue_

 **Chapter 9  
** _A Parting Decision_

Darkness covers Castle Town. The Devastati's forces continue to search vigilantly for any who dare try to escape enslavement. Hidden away in the cover of the woods, a faint blue light shines eerily from the healing palm of a young Zora prince.

With his right hand, little Prince Zora Jr casts his healing grace to treat the injuries of a heavily-wounded Lark while his own left arm is being bandaged carefully by Link.

Lark, however, cannot stand the humiliation of requiring aid. "That's enough!" he snaps before pulling away. "Now take your slimy hand off of me!"

Zora Jr is taken aback by this ungrateful attitude. "But...your life-force is still really low..." he point out.

"I can handle it!" Lark insists. "I've been on my own since I was fourteen! I don't need someone else to take of my injuries! Especially not some stupid kid!"

Ruto is infuriated. "Hey! No one _asked_ him to heal you, you know!"

"You got _that_ right!" Lark scoffs.

"That's it!" Ruto snaps. "I demand that you leave my sight at once and never return!"

"What_ You mean _that's_ all the thanks I get?" says Lark. "After everything I've risked and done for you _-_ _voluntarily_ _,_ mind you! _-_ _this_ is how I'm repaid?!"

"There's no payment in volunteer work, fool!" says Ruto "And if anything; I'd say letting you keep your life after that stunt you tried to pull is reward enough! Now leave!"

"But I deserve more than just_!"

 _*Snap!*_

Lark is cut off with a punishing blow from Ruto's whip.

 _"_ _OW!"_

"I said _SCRAM!"_ Ruto scolds. "Before I give you what you _really_ deserve, you disgusting degenerate!"

Lark gnashes his teeth with anger. "Fine, then! Looks like you were never worth my time in the first place, anyhow! Thanks for nothing!"

Pulling up his hood, the Sheikah descendant gets up to leave in a huff. He quickly finds that his wounds still ache.

"Ack..!" He clenches his side and winces in pain.

Zora Jr is concerned. "Are you _sure_ you don't want me to finish healing you..?"

"I'm _fine!"_ Lark snaps. "Now where's my katana so I can reforge it?!"

Link pauses from tending to the prince's injury and hands Lark both the remains of the broken Windcleaver Katana as well as a potion they acquired from the monsters' encampment. "Here. And you should at least take a life-potion..."

Larks indignantly snatches both into his hands. "Don't get full of yourself..!" he whispers threateningly to the Hylian with hatred burning in his scarlet eyes. "This isn't over, _Link_... Next time, _I'll_ be the one to shine...while _you_ sink into the dirt where you belong! You'll see!"

Without another word, the troubled degenerate takes off in a huff. Link is taken aback by his parting words.

 _Now what was that all about..?_

Ruto calls out after him; "That's right! Get out of here, you freak! I never want to see your ridiculous excuse of a face again! You hear me?!"

Many questions about Lark flood Link's mind. _Why did he really volunteer to fight alongside them?_

The young Hylian knows not what the Sheikah descendant's reasons for helping were truly, but it obviously was not for charity. He seemed not to even care the slightest for Prince Zora Jr's well-being.

Although it initially seemed that he was just looking to impress a princess and gain royal favor, Link cannot help but suspect there may have been another reason behind Lark's desire to partake in the mission. One that is independent of Princess Ruto, but still centered on some self-benefiting objective.

 _But what..?_

Princess Ruto sits down beside her brother to wash his cuts. She continues grumbling about Lark as she does; " _Hmph!_ Horrible wretch. I don't know why you guys even cared to take the trouble to save him instead of just leaving him out there to die...like he _intended_ to do to _us._ It'd be nothing short of what that lousy traitor deserves."

Zora Jr winces in pain as his wounds are treated. "So, who _was_ that guy, anyway..?" he asks.

"No one important," Ruto answers as she ties his bandages. "Just some shady scumbag trying to hit on me that I had to endure... I think his name was ' _Lank'. -_ Or was it _'Lark'_..? Ah, something like that, anyway."

"So how did he- _OW!_ -turn into a bird like that?" the prince asks between bandages.

"Oh, some Sheikah magic, I suppose... Now hold still, will you?"

"...But when he turns into a bird_ _OW! -_ Where do his clothes and weapons and stuff go..?"

Ruto takes an awkward pause. She looks off into the distance where Lark departed with a baffled expression on her face. "...Where the halibut _does_ that stuff go_?" She then turns towards Link. "And now that I think about it; how in the world do _you_ draw that sword of yours from your back?! That should clearly more than an arm's reach in length!"

Link looks to the sword on his back and then back to Ruto. This has never occurred to him before.

He gives a baffled shrug.

"You stupid humans!" Ruto scolds. "You can't just go around breaking the laws of physics at your own convenience! Don't you know it's bad karma defying Mother Nature?! What's the matter with you, boy?! Are you sick in the head or something?!"

Link sheepishly scratches the back of his head. _This is awkward..._

Ruto palms her face. " _Ugh_. Whatever..." she scoffs before getting back to tending to her brother's wounds. "Anyway, make yourself useful and fetch us something sturdy to use as sling structure for my brother's arm, will you Greenie?"

Link nods and proceeds to use his sword to cut some wood from the branches of the nearby trees for the Zora prince's make-do of a cast.

"Wait_" whispers Zora Jr. " _'Greenie'.._? That's his name?"

"Hm?" says Ruto. "Nah, that's just what I've been calling him."

"Then what _is_ his real name?" asks Zora Jr.

"Mm. I don't know," says Ruto nonchalantly. "Probably _'John'._ It seems like one in every fifteen human-males tends to be named that."

"You've fought alongside this person this long and never even thought to ask his name?"

Ruto shrugs as she continues wrapping his wounds. "Meh. I never address commoners by name anyhow, so what's even the point?"

Zora Jr shakes his head at his sister. He turns to greet Link as the latter comes over with the trimmed branches to support the former's broken arm. "Thank you very much for all you have done, swordsman," the little prince says gratefully to the Hylian. "Please pardon me, but I don't think we ever got your name..?"

"It's _Link,_ " the Hylian answers while readying some cloth to craft the temporary sling.

" _'Link'_..?" Ruto mutters. "Like a piece from a _chain_ or something? _Sheesh!_ Humans have such weird taste in names!"

"I see," says the prince, ignoring his sister. Taking a formal bow of his head, he then properly introduces himself; "I am Prince Zora De Bon VIII. It's nice to meet you, Sir Link."

Ruto grumbles; "Though it'll be even _nicer_ to just put this whole meeting behind us and get back to going _without_ any human company..."

"And of course, you've met my sister..." continues Zora Jr; "Princess _Stuck-Up_."

"'Princess _Ruto'!"_ corrects the princess. "Thank you very _little_!"

"Sorry if she's rude..." whispers Zora Jr to Link. "She doesn't like humans very much..."

"It's alright," says Link, applying the make-do sling he made. "Now just hold still a moment..."

After a few adjustments to fit it properly, the sling is set securely upon the little prince's broken arm. Made simply from cloths wrapped snugly around the arm with fairly sturdy sticks to hold it straight, it is far from the most conventional cast, but it is better than nothing. It will have to do for now.

The young Zora repays the favor by casting his healing power to treat the minor damage Link took from the recent battle, ridding the Hylian of all cuts and bruises in no time. He also proceeds to heal his sister as well, who herself proves useful by using her Hydros spell to quickly wash off their weapons and instantly rid them of bloodstains using water conjured from magic that conveniently dries off in seconds.

"Alright, human," says Ruto to Link. "Your wounds are healed and your sword is cleaned. We appreciate your assistance but now that we no longer have need of it, I believe this is where we part ways. Good luck resisting the Devastati."

Without another word to the Hylian, she coldly turns to take leave. It appears she holds some resentment towards him despite all he has done.

"Come, Junior," she says to her brother. "It's time we leave this forsaken place."

"Wait_ You mean _now?"_ asks the prince. "Without anyone else? We're not just leaving by ourselves, are we?"

Ruto stops briefly in her tracks. Her back turned towards the others to conceal her pained countenance from them, she clenches her fists and closes her eyes tightly as she fights her emotions. "We are," she answers sternly. "We make our way home by foot..."

"But what about Father and the others?" says Zora Jr. "They're still trapped behind that barrier!"

"They're all _gone_ now!" Ruto snaps, speaking harshly to avoid sobbing. "You can thank _Zelda_ for that!"

"But...how are we even going to _get_ home..?"

"We... We just will! _That's_ how!"

She is still trying to avoid being looked in the eyes by anyone...

But Link notices the stains from tears upon her face.

"So, come on, already!" she orders. "Let's get going! I don't want to have to be here in this wretched place another minute!" She grabs her little brother by the wrist (the one that is not broken) and pulls him along.

"But do you even know the way..?!" inquires her skeptical brother. "I don't think you even know how to read a map..!"

"Of course I do!" insists she. "And we'll just follow the river upstream. How hard can that be?!"

"But what about all the monsters?" asks Zora Jr. "They're all over the place now! Aren't we going to need some protection?"

"I can take them!" says Ruto. "I'm all the protection we'll need!"

"You mean like how well you protected us at the moat not long ago..?" he replies sarcastically as he points out his broken arm.

"Shut up!" snaps she. "That was...different..!"

"Different from _what_..?! No matter what, we could still end up easily in another situation just like _that_ one! ...Especially with _you_ in charge."

"Why you little...! I..! Just_!" stammers the flustered princess, unable to think of a comeback. "Bah! Look; do you want to just stick around here and let those monsters catch you?! I don't think so! Your only options now are to either come with me or let them kill you! So quit complaining and just do as I say!"

Link is left standing in silence as he watches the two Zoras leave. He cannot help but worry.

 _Will they really be okay?_

Looking over the possibilities, it is obvious the odds of returning to Zora's Domain safely are not in their favor. Their best chance at escaping town is by river, but that will not be possible if one of them has a broken arm. And even then, will they really be able to make it on their own with the Devastati personally hunting them? The princess may be a formidable fighter, but she still cannot handle too many enemies on her own at once.

Link sighs in despair. He cannot bear to let them walk straight into grave danger.

But what can he do?

He is only a temporary recruit, after all; not a true soldier. It would be unwise for him to get involved in their problems any further, and this is not his responsibility.

 _...Or is it?_

Link thinks back to when he first signed up for the recruitment and recalls the words that Sir Pent had spoken to him and his fellow trainees;

 _'Even if you are only a recruit for a day, you are still a soldier, and it is therefore your responsibility to_ _do the duty of one to your full extent.'_

"(I have to do something...)" Link realizes. "(Even if I _am_ just a recruit, I'm still one of the last few soldiers left in Hyrule and thus sworn to do the duty of one. I've already made the mistake of nearly abandoning those Zoras earlier when they were in danger by the moat, and I _refuse_ to repeat such cowardice again! I could never forgive myself if anything were to happen to them just because I didn't lend a hand when I should have!)"

Looking towards the departing Zoras, the young Hylian knows very well what he must do.

Although he greatly hates the idea of having to leave his grandmother behind to care for herself in times like this, he knows very well that she will be better off if he stays as far from her as possible now that he has already become a personal target of Bloodvore's wrath. Returning to her now would only bring her certain doom.

Having no place in Castle Town any longer, it is his only option to flee, and these Zoras need all the backup they can get right now if they hope to make it home in one piece, so joining forces is the obvious solution for both parties' chances of survival anyway.

Besides...

If they are trying to reach the river, they are going the wrong way...

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I was hoping to conclude this episode right here, but the scene was getting way too long once again and so it'll be the _next_ chapter that closes the episode. ****Anyway, you might have noticed a contradiction in this chapter... I won't say much yet, but just so you know; it's not an error. Wait and see... ;)**


	60. 6-10 Link's Proposition

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 6: Royal Rescue_

 **Chapter 10  
** _Link's Proposistion_

Link can hardly believe what he is about to do right now.

The same boy who had panicked when Princess Zelda spoke to him and wished he could run away on the spot is now about to go out of his way to speak to, not merely one, but _two_ people of royalty! This is far out of character for him!

Gathering whatever bit of boldness he can muster, Link speaks up and calls out to the the departing Zoras. "E-excuse me..?" he says shyly. "B-but...if you need any help... Maybe I can...uh...help..?"

He cringes at the sound of his own sheepish words. Speaking is _not_ his specialty.

"(I must sound like a total idiot right now...)" he thinks to himself.

"Thanks, but we can manage perfectly fine _without_ the help of some _fleabag,_ " Princess Ruto replies coldly.

"Hey, now _that_ was totally rude!" scolds her brother. "Besides, we could use the help."

"I _told_ you," says Princess Ruto; "I'm capable of getting us home just fine! We don't need some filthy human breathing down our backs!"

"Um... I don't _mean_ to intrude..." says Link. "But it's just that...I don't think you realize that you're only walking straight into a graveyard..."

Princess Ruto is irked by this statement. She quickly turns to face the Hylian with scorn in her eyes. "Are you implying that I'm incompetent and going to get us _killed_?!"

Prince Zora Jr mutters under his breath; "Well, that _is_ about the size of it..."

"You insolent human!" scolds Ruto to Link. "Didn't you see for yourself what I'm capable of?! I may have required assistance when I was outnumbered, but I still slew countless monsters single-handed before that! I'm _fully_ capable of holding my own in battle at _least_ as well as any soldier!"

"N-no! Th-that's not what I meant!" Link frantically tries to explain as he points down the road that the Zoras were walking. "What I mean is; the road you're walking _literally_ leads straight into the local graveyard and nowhere else... I wasn't making a metaphor; it's a dead end... The river is in the opposite direction..."

"Wha_? Oh!" says an embarrassed Princess Ruto. "R-right! I knew that!"

The prince gives her an unimpressed look. "You have no idea where we're going, do you..?"

"Of course I do!" lies Ruto. "I was just...trying to lose any enemies that might be following us. That's all!"

"By walking _further_ into their turf?" says Zora Jr. "Some plan..."

"Quiet!" shouts Ruto as she whaps her brother with her fin. "No one asked you!"

She quickly puts on a straight face to hide her embarrassment and turns towards Link trying to appear calm and sophisticated.

"Alright, human..." she begins, speaking formally; "While I don't believe that assistance will be mandatory, but I suppose it could perhaps be beneficial in the least... Since you're so persistent; what sort of ' _help_ ' did you have in mind?"

"Um... I...don't know..." Link replies awkwardly. "Just...anything you might need help for... I guess..?"

Princess Ruto gives him a look.

A look implying that she does not find him reliable at all.

"(Yup...)" Link thinks to himself. "(I _definitely_ sound like a complete idiot...)"

Being the socially-awkward type Link is certainly makes moments like this difficult...

But he cannot let that stop him from doing as he ought.

"Look..." he explains. "I know I'm not the most... _socially-confident_ person there is... And I admit that I really have no idea what I'm doing right now... But..."

He takes a deep breath.

Social situations like this are stressful for Link, and he is taking a major step out of his personal comfort-zone to push himself to carry through.

"But at this point..." he continues, gathering all the persistence he can muster to speak up; "I can't afford to stick around Castle Town any longer... I might not have died in either of those battles earlier, but my life still ended... You heard what Bloodvore had said when we fought him; now that I've opposed him, he's just going to hunt me down and kill me... along with anyone associated with me. Trying to go back to my life now will only put those I love in mortal danger... There is no place for me here anymore. And it's obvious that you two are also at a loss of what to do now that the Devastati has taken control and you've been separated from your people... So since we're both being hunted right now with no other choice but to flee Castle Town... perhaps we'd all stand a much better chance if we join forces and escape together...as a team..?"

Prince Zora Jr needs no convincing. "Sounds like a good plan to me," says the little one. "That'll make things a lot easier for all three of us!"

Ruto quickly hushes her brother. She eyes Link with suspicion. "So you want to accompany us out of town while the heat is up, do you?" she says to him. "In other words; you hope to hide behind us to better _your own_ chances of getting out of here alive since _we're_ the bigger targets that the Devastati will be more likely to go after if they spot us, _right?!"_

Link is shocked by the accusation. "What?! N-no..! I fully intend to protect the both of you however I can!"

"So you plan on being our big, selfless hero..?" Ruto scoffs with disbelief. " _Pfft!_ And why should I believe _that?!"_

"Well... I _did_ just risk my life to fight for you in _two_ different battles that I could have just stayed out of..." Link reminds.

Zora Jr looks to Ruto pressingly. "He has a point, you know."

She shushes him quickly. Warily, she continues to leer Link down. "So, you're saying that you, a Hylian, actually _want_ the responsibility of looking after the well-being of a pair of _Zoras_ that you have no obligations to?" she asks with utmost skepticism. "That you're willing to protect us with your life the same you'd be expected to do for your own princess Zelda..?"

Link nods.

Ruto remains suspicious. "...What's the catch?"

"The _'catch'_..?" asks a puzzled Link.

"Don't assume me to be blind to sycophancy, human!" Ruto charges. "No one offers such a thing unless they hope for something in return; that _Lark_ fellow is a perfect example of that! So if there's something you are expecting in return for your aid, just come out and admit it now! I'm not giving in to any hidden catches!"

"There isn't exactly a ' _catch'_..." answers Link. "But...I guess there _is_ one thing that I hope you'll do..."

"Go figure..." says Ruto with an annoyed sigh. "And what is it?"

"Well..." says Link shyly. "With you being the princess of the Zoras... I was hoping maybe... you might have your people do their part in lending their strength against the Devastati...for the good of all of Hyrule..? Although I wouldn't expect you to take the _entire_ battle upon yourselves... Just do your expected share in fighting against a mutual enemy... They _are_ responsible for your lack of a king, after all..."

Ruto considers the proposition. "I guess that's sensible..."

She still has little faith in him, if any in the least, and he does not at all come across as the most competent soldier ever seen...

But his eyes are filled with absolute sincerity.

She still feels very contemptuous towards humans and would much rather not have to rely on one. She also prides herself on her own skills as an independent warrior, so the very idea of having a man around to protect her is always a blow to that pride.

But now her pride has already been hurt, she feels drained; both physically and emotionally, and above all; she is secretly frightened.

More frightened than ever before.

She has no idea what is going to happen now that she has been separated from her kind and must take care of both herself and her injured brother alone. And despite refusing to admit it; she knows that she had just gotten herself lost within the first minute of traveling, and that it will only happen again.

Perhaps...

Perhaps accepting the help of a human may be her only option right now.

(Not that she would admit that to anybody...)

"Well..." says Ruto, trying to hide her exhaustion. "Since that's how you put it; fine. I still don't think an amateur like you will be of much help, but I suppose it's better than nothing. We have a long road ahead of us, which will be difficult due to my little brother's condition, but since you're so determined to make yourself useful, and you _have_ displayed decent swordsmanship; I _suppose_ it could prove beneficial to bring you along... Tell me; how far do you plan to accompany us down the road?"

Link shrugs. "I don't know... I have no destination of my own yet, so for however long I can be of any use, I guess..."

"So be it," says Ruto. "You will be our escort back to Zora's Domain; either from now until we arrive at our destination or until a change of plans prompts us to part ways early. But you'll have to follow my orders, fulfill my standards, assist in fighting any enemies we may encounter, and carry through all the way like a soldier should; there will be _no_ backing down. Is that clear?"

"(I can't believe I'm doing this...)" thinks Link before replying; "Yes."

Prince Zora Jr is surprised that Link would actually offer such a thing, or that Ruto would allow it, but certainly feels relieved to know that they will have someone with a better sense of judgment than Ruto along the trip.

"So... Sir Link is coming with us, then..?" asks he.

"Perhaps..." answers Ruto. "I don't think it's necessary, but since he's so persistent, I _suppose_ we may as well give him a chance at least. He could be helpful, but if not; we can always get rid of him..."

"In other words..." says Zora Jr; "You're just letting him come along so that you'll have someone else to pin the blame on if we get lost..."

 _*Whap!*_

"Oof!" he exclaims as his sister flicks him in the face with her fin. "I'll take that as a ' _yes'_..."

 _*Whap!*_

"Anyhow..." says Ruto, trying to ignore her brother. "About those ' _standards'_ I had mentioned... Don't you have a proper suit of armour? You don't look like much of a knight to me."

"He's better armoured than _you_ are..." Zora Jr points out. "Who ever heard of going into battle in a _toga_?!"

 _*Whap!*_

"Ack..! Cut that out, will you?!" he protests upon being flicked in the face again.

"Um. Armor..?" says Link sheepishly. "W-well... no... I'm only a recruit, after all. What I have on me is all I have... and this uniform is only a rental."

" _Humph!_ That's not good enough!" scoffs Ruto. "If you're going to be our escort, then you'll need to be better prepared..." She gives her brother a brief look. "And...I _suppose_ it wouldn't hurt if I had some better equipment as well..." she hastily continues before Zora Jr can point anything out that would make her look foolish. "Tell me, human; where can we find some proper equipment for battle around here? I know the castle's armory is now off-limits for obvious reasons."

Zora Jr seems shocked by this request. "Since when did _you_ care so much about being properly prepared?! You're the Queen of Recklessness herself!"

 _*Whap!*_

"Ow!" says he as he rubs his face. "Hey! Not so hard! That kinda stung a little that time!"

Link takes a moment to think. "I _think_ there is a new place not too far from here that opened just recently and is supposed to deal used gear..." he recalls. "I haven't been there myself yet to know exactly what they carry, though. And the Devastati might have confiscated everything by now..."

"Well, it's not as if we have much to lose," says Ruto. "The least we can do is swing by and see if the Devastati has gotten to them yet. If not, we should be able to pick up some gear at a good price, since I am certain any merchant would much rather take their last chance to make some final profit on their wares before the Devastati confiscates it all for nothing. Lead the way, human! We set off at once!"

Link complies and proceeds to lead the way. Although he can still hardly believe what he is actually doing right now.

"Wait..!" Ruto suddenly halts.

Link looks back to her. She appears to have something yet on her mind.

"You... Uh..." she says hesitantly. "You said you witnessed Bloodvore attack the Hylian royal family disguised as me, yes..?"

Link nods with sympathy.

"And you say he turned the king and queen to stone..?" she continues dryly.

Link nods again, paying much attention to her troubled tone.

"Well..." says Ruto. "This isn't too important, I guess... But...just out of curiosity... Um. Perhaps...you can tell me... Er_ Maybe you might know... what also happened to_ Ah..."

Although she is trying to appear aloof, there seems to be much hesitation in her voice...

The very same kind of hesitation she had previously displayed when inquiring about the incident as he first told her of it earlier before Lark had arrived and interrupted her question.

Crossing her arms and looking off to the side, she puts on a display of forced indifference as she finally spits out the worrisome question she wishes not to admit has been troubling her mind since her very first meeting with Bloodvore;

"How's Zelda..?" she asks aloofly.

"I don't know..." Link answers her with a heavy heart. "Last I saw; she was suspended in the air and bleeding pretty bad... I didn't see what happened next..."

Ruto is inwardly shaken by this news, though she dares not show it. "I see..." she says dryly.

Zora Jr looks to her with concern. "Do you think she's alright..?"

"Meh. That's none of our concern..." Ruto replies with conspicuous aloofness, not looking anyone in the eye. "Anyway, what are we doing still standing around here?! Come on! Let's get moving! We haven't got all night, you know! Lead the way, human!"

Link complies and resumes their path. It appears his time in the company of these Zoras will be lasting much longer than he would have anticipated. -Though it is somewhat amusing to think that he has already spent this long fighting beside them and only _just recently_ did anyone think to actually exchange names. Why, even Lark had revealed his name as soon as_

 _Wait a second..!_

Link recalls Lark's words before the latter departed from their company;

 _'This isn't over, Link..!'_

"(I hadn't given my name yet when he said that...)" Link thinks to himself. "(I can count on my fingers the few times I even said anything to him during the entire time he was in our company, and my name was never included in any of them... So how did he already know it..?!)"

The question is somewhat uncomfortable to the young Hylian but thinking about it will not get him any answers. He can only continue his path and try to keep his mind on the more important things for now.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Link or the two Zoras, they are being silently observed from afar...

Three burning wisps, colored red, blue, and green, circle around the pointed head of a mysterious figure.

A being gleamed in a golden aura.

It stays afloat in midair, serenely looking down from the darkening sky. It watches the trio set off; observing their actions and evaluating their potential.

" _It appears we have found at least one who is worthy..."_ says the being. _"And another who will be... in time."_

* * *

End of Episode 6: _Royal Rescue  
_ To be continued in Episode 7: _  
_ _ **Escape From Castle Town**_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Sorry about how extensively long this chapter ended up. Fortunately, most of the others of this episode remained a more appropriate length.**


	61. 7-1 Worthless Minions

~SilentN

 **The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit  
** _Episode 7: Escape From Castle Town_

 _Now in the company of two unlikely companions, Link must embark with them on their journey to Zora's Domain to ensure their safety on the road...but they will have to first escape Castle Town under the Devastati's watch before such a journey can even begin. With monsters already patrolling every street and corner, will the three runaways be able to make it out alive? Perhaps a mysterious being of light can be of help..._

* * *

 **Chapter 1  
** _Worthless Minions_

A confidential note from Professor Sharp's studies regarding the Temple of Time:

 _Hyrule is a kingdom of much history... History that is often lost and forgotten over the passing of the ages. Though many efforts are made each day to uncover lost knowledge of the ancient past, the truth is often blurred as details of fact and myth are gradually intertwined over the course of countless retellings throughout time, eventually becoming near impossible to distinguish between the two._

 _My pursuit of researching the ancient magic and music of our world and the connections between them has also led me to study a great deal of history, which I find equally fascinating in every way. My service to the royal family has been a great privilege in granting me access to the royal library to study freely Hyrule's historical archives, and while the data I have had the pleasure of reviewing has been most interesting, there remains one subject whose background intrigues my thirst for knowledge like no other..._

 _The Temple of Time._

 _Believed by many to be perhaps the oldest standing building in all of Hyrule, the Temple of Time overflows with more historical significance than any other landmark. -Yes, even more so than Hyrule Castle itself. However, it also holds a great deal of mystery..._

 _Although it is regarded almost exclusively today as merely a place of worship paying homage to the goddess of time, it appears that may have not been the only purpose for which the great temple was built. According to some lesser-known legends; the Temple of Time was also meant to serve as a stronghold of some sort, keeping within its walls a great secret known to few._

 _For a time, only the royal family of Hyrule and certain trusted members of the Sheikah were privy to any knowledge of this secret, but now the exact details have been lost even to them. There may be none left today who can say for sure what secrets lie within that temple, as the legends vary far too inconsistently to confirm the truth, but King Roark Flavius Hyrule has tasked me and a few others to assist in finding out._

 _Progress has been slow, but we may have at last been able to locate a possible key: an ancient treasure that has been passed down in the royal family for generations; a sacred instrument known as the Ocarina of Time._

 _Our current findings suggest that there was once an ancient melody which, when played on this specific ocarina, could supposedly control the very flow of time itself and open a doorway within the temple to another realm. Without it, the Ocarina of Time remains little different than any other ocarina._ _We have yet to uncover any trace of this magical melody, or even confirm whether or not it ever truly existed, but it certainly does intrigue me._

 _For now, any findings we continue to uncover must remain absolutely confidential. We cannot risk letting this knowledge fall into the wrong hands if it is true. Although forgotten, these secrets were protected for a reason, and we who rediscover them must abide by that reason and continue to protect them..._

* * *

Bones broken and trampled lie everywhere in sight. Blood spilled from monsters paints the dirt of what was once their hidden encampment in the woods. Shackles that kept an innocent young Zora bound moments ago now lie unlocked and empty of any captive.

Lord Bloodvore is infuriated. Summoning a few of the lesser Aches who survived the recent battle by fleeing after the elite commander was slain, he interrogates them aggressively about what happened here while he was away for but half an hour. The answers he receives only enrages him all the more.

"What do you mean they _'got away'_..?!" demands the Acheman Champion. "There were at least _forty_ monsters here when I left! At the very _LEAST!_ How could you nitwits fail against _one_ Zora?! Just _ONE..! Stupid..! Zora.._?!"

The lesser Aches cower before their enraged champion, fearing his wrath like no other. They tremble to reply;

Ache 1: "F-Forgive us, my lord! We were no match once they took town our commander..."

Ache 2: "The Zora princess wasn't alone..! She had help!"

Ache 3: "That's right! Lots of help! We were...um...outnumbered..!"

Ache 2: "Yeah! It was...a whole army! A _HUGE_ one!"

Ache 3: "We all fought valiantly, but...there were just too many of them!"

Ache 4: "Wait_ What? I only saw the two humans with her... Where was the rest of the army?"

 _*Whap!*_

Ache 3: "Shut up, you idiot!"

Ache 4: " _OW!_ I was just askin'!"

Bloodvore grows even more furious. "You mean you lunkheads lost...to only _three_ warriors?! You're even more worthless than I thought! What'd you do? Dance around drunk in _hula dresses_ and let them pick you off one-by-one?! I thought I burned every last one of those stupid grass skirts so that sort of thing wouldn't happen again!"

Ache 2: "N-No..! Nothing like that this time!"

Ache 3: "And it's not like the help she had was a bunch of pushovers..."

Ache 1: "It's true, my lord. I recognized the swordsmen accompanying her... One whom I am certain is the very soldier responsible for driving us all out here after slaying several of our own single-handed in the dungeon earlier."

Lord Bloodvore: " _Pfft!_ That twerp again?! Our insider told me he was one of the _lowest_ of recruits! A greenhorn like him shouldn't have been any threat! How many times are you incompetent losers going to fail against that pesky nobody?!"

Ache 5: "A thousand pardons, my lord, but would it make a difference to know that he is also the same recruit who caused _you_ trouble?"

Lord Bloodvore: "What's _that_ supposed to mean?!"

Ache 5: "If I'm not mistaken, I am pretty sure he's that same recruit who resisted us on the castle's rooftops. I recognized him from before."

Lord Bloodvore: " _WHAT?!_ You mean to tell me _that's_ the punk who bested you?! You're even more pathetic than I thought! That kid's a pipsqueak!"

Ache 4: "But didn't he come close to beating you in a swordfight..?"

Bloodvore is furiously offended by these words. "HE DID _NOT_ COME ANYWHERE _NEAR_ CLOSE TO BEATING ME..!" A sphere of dark energy is immediately hurled from his palm, instantly obliterating the idiot Ache who dared to suggest such an insulting remark.

 _*Bzzam!*_

"As if some lowly Hylian runt could _possibly_ pose any sort of threat at all to the almighty _Lord Bloodvore!"_ the Acheman Champion hisses with rage. "He was nothing more than a pesky distraction getting in the way of my true target! He only landed that _single hit_ against me by dumb luck because I overlooked him while aiming for that blasted Goron! The rockhead was the only real opponent there! That Hylian pushover isn't even worthy of being called an enemy! So don't go getting the wrong idea!"

The remaining Aches shiver in fear, taking note not to repeat the vaporized one's folly.

Bloodvore looks down on them scornfully. "...But apparently _YOU_ incompetent lunkheads are even more pathetic than that pipsqueak is!" he continues; "If such a wimp like that puny Hylian is such a threat to you worthless lot, than you're obviously not even fit to be called monsters! I ought to throw you all to the Dodongos if you're really _that_ useless!"

Ache 1: "He wasn't the only help the Zora had fighting for her, my lord... It was the _other_ swordsman with her who was the most formidable."

Ache 5: "That's right. It was that blasted apprentice of Crow's who assisted her!"

The Acheman Champion knows immediately whom they speak of. "Lark..." he hisses with spite. "That figures. He could never pass up the opportunity to cause mischief for the Devastati... _OR_ to show off in front of some pretty girl! What's up with that punk, anyhow? All he ever does is show up to mess with us and disappear right before anyone can catch him!"

Ache 2: "So...the guy in the hood? Have we dealt with him before..?"

Ache 3: "Then you can't really blame us for having trouble with a reoccurring threat, right?"

"Don't be stupid!" scoffs Bloodvore. "He's no ' _threat'..._ just a pest! He was trained by Crow himself and is armed with one of his old Windcleaver Katanas that he stole from him before running away about a decade or so ago, so he does have more skill than your average human at least, but he's still nowhere near the same league as me, Crow, nor any of the other champions of the Devastati. The kid's always trying to get even with Crow for some reason and just likes to pop up to mess with us whenever he sees the opportunity. But all he really does is pick off a few of our weaker grunts, steal or sabotage a handful of our supplies, gloats about being the _'sole greatest threat'_ to us...and then retreats the instant any truly formidable opponent enters the fray! I've come close to catching that punk a few times before, but he always takes off without a fight as soon as I find him! Despite how much he likes to talk tough and toy with danger, he's still a coward at heart who immediately turns tail once the going gets tough!"

Ache 2: "But if he's Crow's apprentice, can't one of you elite members just activate his seal and strike him dead?"

Lord Bloodvore: " _Hello._.?! Didn't you hear me?! That was almost _ten years_ ago that he bailed! The seal wasn't complete yet! He doesn't _have_ one!"

Ache 2: "F-Forgive me, my lord... That was a stupid question."

Lord Bloodvore: " _No doi._ Fortunately, the seal _is_ complete now, which means those Zoras won't be getting far. All I have to do is track the small one and he'll lead me right to the both of them - _AND_ their meddlesome human bodyguards if they haven't split up yet- so I can exact my full revenge!"

The Aches look to one another in confusion.

Ache 1: "A thousand pardons, my lord... but how does this work exactly when he hasn't been sealed yet?"

Bloodvore's soulless eyes widen and twitch at these words. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE _HASN'T BEEN SEALED YET?!"_ He screeches with half-panicked rage. "Are you telling me you lunkheads failed to carry out the basic procedures and never marked one of our most valuable hostages with the Seal of Subjection?!"

The Aches can only tremble and stammer. They are afraid to answer.

They have no need to. Bloodvore reads their terrified reaction all too clearly. "This should have been the _very first_ thing you do to _any_ prisoner I hand over to you!" he hollers at them. "WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN DONE..?!"

Ache 5: "W-Well, uh... Y-You did say in your message you sent back to the Zora princess upon your return that you'd give her half an hour before you sealed him, my lord..."

Ache 3: "We were just following our commanders orders..! He never said to seal the kid...so we didn't..."

"You idiots!" screeches an outraged Bloodvore. "If I had actually meant to postpone sealing that brat, I would have specifically _ordered_ you to wait...but I _didn't,_ now did I?! I only said that to the princess so she'd think she had a limited time to act and feel pressured to accept my challenge instead of trying to run away and regroup! What drove you imbeciles to think I'd actually keep my end of the bargain?! Since when have I _ever_ been true to my word?! When..! Have..! I..! _EVER.._?!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! And I apologize for having been away for so long, but now I hope to update weekly once again. Also, sorry if this chapter cuts out rather abruptly. It wasn't supposed to end quite where it did, but I couldn't come up with any continuing dialogue that wouldn't cause things to drag out too much, so I just ended up leaving it like this instead...**


	62. 7-2 Huntress

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 7: Escape From Castle Town_

 **Chapter 2  
** _Huntress_

The final glimmers of daylight have disappeared beyond the western corners of the sky, leaving the glow of the moon the only luminescence to watch over Hyrule. Its pale light shines eerily over the Temple of Time, where four robed figures -one superior over the others- impatiently wait at the entrance with rods in hand and golden diadems upon their heads.

"Where is that worthless bat?!" scoffs the wizard Kazama, his patience wearing thin. "I expected him to be here before I even arrived!"

The three Arch Wizzrobes accompanying him stand in silence. Their master's thoughts are their thoughts; whatever he speaks, he speaks for them all. Nothing needs to be said from them.

An Ache black-and-red flies hastily through the night. He lands before the wizard and takes the shape of an Acheman to bow upon the ground. "I'm here, my lord..!" he pants from his hurry. "Acheman Champion Bloodvore reporting for duty!"

Kazama looks down upon the fiend with scorn. "...You're _late!"_

"F-forgive me, my lord..!" grovels the Acheman Champion nervously. He trembles before his master not unlike the way his own minions do before himself. "I would have been here sooner, but there was something of importance I had to look into. It appears we are still dealing with some resistance... Resistance that has already taken down a number of our lower troops!"

"Go figure..." the wizard scoffs. "It is only to be expected that some fools would initially try to defy their fate, but they won't last long. We'll have these rebellious Hylians apprehended and annihilated in no time."

"The resistance in question is not led by Hylians, my lord," corrects Bloodvore; "That blasted Zora princess... She is behind this!"

Kazama shoots him an intimidating glare. "Come again? Did you just say the _Zora princess_ is behind this..? As in; the very same Zora princess whom you told me might be willing to side with the Devastati...and were _wrong_ about? The Zora princess whom you were specifically instructed to _immediately kill_ if she didn't comply?!"

The Acheman Champion swallows a lump in his throat. "Oh, yeah... I may have... _'accidentally'_...left out a few details in my previous report..." He had been so caught up in his fury about being outwitted and eluded by Ruto _(twice!)_ that it had completely slipped his mind how he had withheld that embarrassing information.

"You useless scum!" scolds the wizard. "Not only were you bested on the rooftops, but now you tell me that you also failed the simplest task of exterminating this rebel on the spot like you were supposed to?!"

"Th-that wasn't my fault!" Bloodvore defensively protests. "I had her completely cornered when I confronted her! She only escaped because_!"

" _SILENCE!"_ orders Kazama.

And silenced the Acheman Champion is. The golden emblem upon his forehead resonates with his master's anger, causing Bloodvore a great deal of pain to instantly shut him up.

"I don't want to hear your excuses!" the wizard continues; "Though the threat this Zora poses is only a very trivial one, but the fact that you let her escape with her life to start a revolt like this in the first place -in addition to your other failures today- speaks volumes of your competence! -Or rather; lack thereof."

"F-forgive me...my lord..!" Bloodvore weakly strains to say. "I promise you...that I will correct this minor slip-up..!"

"Whatever," Kazama scoffs. "Are there any other details regarding this little Zora rebellion we should know? Speak up now! And if you withhold any important information again, I shan't be so merciful!"

"I said that I only withheld by _'accident',_ didn't I..?!" Bloodvore defensively insists.

Kazama is not convinced. "And you think I'm stupid enough to buy that..?"

"You don't believe me that it was an honest mistake?" says the Acheman, feigning innocence. "Oh, come now! When have I _ever_ been untrue to my word..?!"

The wizard stares down at him sternly. His icy scowl speaks volumes of his unbelief without any need for words.

"Right..." says Bloodvore, realizing he is fooling no one. "Well, uh... She has the young Zora prince with healing abilities in her company, and has recruited at least one Hylian swordsman to fight beside her..."

"Is that all?!" says Kazama. "Then even our lowest troops should be able to handle this without much difficulty!"

"No, my lord. My sources tell me she has at least one other ally worthy of note," hisses the Acheman Champion with aggravation; "That blasted apprentice of Crow's... He is reportedly aiding her! They were able to exterminate an entire small encampment of ours and even slew the elite Acheman I had stationed there."

"Lark again?" scoffs the wizard in annoyance. "That figures. Though I am surprised to hear he actually stuck around to face an elite for a change instead of fleeing the instant he was met with a formidable foe again."

"I know, right?" Bloodvore agrees. "He usually only ever picks off the weaklings. He seems to be getting bolder."

"That or he's just extra determined to prove himself to this royal lass. He probably hopes to make himself a king," Kazama shrugs nonchalantly. "No matter. Neither of these meddlesome pests are any real threat, but the defiance they have shown shan't be forgiven. It's time we eliminate them both."

"Just leave this to me, master," says Bloodvore. "I fully intend to hunt them both down and finish the job once dismissed!"

"Don't bother. We have plenty of _more competent_ hunters to handle this simple task..." says Kazama, turning towards the Arch Wizzrobes with a nod.

The three nod in return, knowing without a word what their master is commanding them.

Saphridge, the Arch Wizzrobe of Ice, grips his crystalline staff and illuminates the golden emblem on his robes. A flurry of swirling snow appears before him, gusting hard as a blue portal opens from the ground while his voice calls out;

" _O white beast-warrior who haunts the frozen tundra; hear my voice and come forth!"_

A lupine champion rises from the snowy portal; a wolf-like monster with the stance of a baboon.

Fur as white as snow, fangs as sharp as arrowheads, eyes that blaze like fire; she bears a golden Devastati emblem upon her right shoulder and a magical sapphire embedded into her forehead. She wears a necklace made of the bones and pointed teeth of animals and ornamented with a small skull from which enchanted feathers hang. Wrapped around her body is a sash made from the skin of a bear she slew herself with just her fangs and claws. The hide is fortified like mail to serve as light armor.

In her clawed hand, she carries a spear carved from only the strongest of oakwood and wrapped at the end is a thin blue banner that sways with the gusting wind. The spearhead is made of a sharpened and enchanted crystal that wields the power of ice, doubling the weapon as both a spear and magic rod that freezes victims near and far.

Kazama approves of this summon. "Ah! Huntress: the White Wolfos Alpha and ace tracker. Excellent choice, Saphfridge."

The Wolfos Alpha bows low. "You summoned me, masters..?"

"Yes," Saphridge answers; "It appears a certain Zora princess has eluded this fool of an Acheman and has chosen to oppose the Devastati. The threat she poses is minimal, but she has reportedly slaughtered a few of our lesser minions and holds much political authority over her kind to potentially raise a ruckus if given the chance to return to her people. Furthermore, it's been reported that Lark, Crow's traitorous apprentice, may be in her company as well. I am certain your tracking skills should save us some time in locating these minor pests to deal with them swiftly."

Huntress nods in understanding. She is a monster of few words.

Bloodvore is distraught. "A thousand pardons, my lord! But I really don't think it's necessary to entrust this task to any other champion! I am fully capable of catching these brats myself, and have already deployed the last of my Aches in this city to search for them. There's no need to have _Dog-Breath_ here get in th_"

 _*Freeze!*  
_

His words are cut off as Huntress projects an ice-spell from her Blizzard Spear (as her weapon is aptly named) to freeze his annoying mouth shut.

"Thank you, Huntress," says Kazama approvingly. "Few things are more satisfying than the sound of an imbecile being silenced."

The white Wolfos Champion smirks with satisfaction, silently humoring the Acheman's strain.

"Now then," says the wizard; "Off to duty, both of you! Huntress; get hunting! Bloodvore; get changed! Let's see what that royal blood you've collected can really do here."

Bloodvore at last manages to get a fireball out to thaw his frozen mouth. "Grah! _*pant... pant...*_ As...you wish...my lord..." he wheezes begrudgingly. Catching his breath again, he focuses his power to shapeshift into Princess Zelda. "There. How do I look?"

"Like a girl..." says Kazama dryly, raising some slight mirth from the other surrounding monsters. "Now come! If our theory stands correct, you may be able to break the seal that only those with the supposed _blood of the goddess_ can lift."

Bloodvore and the Arch Wizzrobes proceed to follow Kazama into the Temple of Time to begin the experiment. Huntress briefly steps closer to the Acheman shaped as the Hylian princess as he passes her; a smirk upon her face.

"Hey, Bloodvore..." she whispers tauntingly to him; "Have fun playing dress-up as a princess while I go and do a _real_ monster's work in hunting one!"

Bloodvore says nothing but bears his fangs and hisses spitefully in response. _Stupid Wolfos!_

Huntress snickers contently to herself before getting to work. The golden emblem on her shoulder shines bright as she lets out a bone-chilling howl that echoes eerily throughout the surrounding area, summoning six snowy portals that open upon the ground. A lesser Wolfos arises from each one.

"Come, my pack..." she says to them. "We have some hunting to do..!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! A new Devastati Champion has now been introduced. If you want a visual reference for her, you can find her image on my Twitter and/or Google+ account by searching the hashtag; "#lozTriSpirit". You can also look for it on DeviantArt. The Wolfos design I have in mind here is based on that from _Ocarina of Time_ and _Majora's Mask._**


	63. 7-3 The Forbidden Blade

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 7: Escape From Castle Town_

 **Chapter 3  
** _The Forbidden Blade_

The sound of footsteps echo through the otherwise-silent halls of the Temple of Time as the Hylian princess enters.

But it is not the Hylian princess; it is the Acheman Champion in her form.

He is led by the wizard Kazama levitating through the air in front of him. The three Arch Wizzrobes likewise follow behind, also levitating as they move. Bloodvore cannot help but find it somewhat ironic how he, the one with wings, is the only one whose feet are touching the ground at the moment.

 _How demeaning..._

The five approach the Door of Time, which is left opened wide for the first time since its initial construction centuries ago, guarded by Darknuts stationed at each side. Behind its passage is an ancient chamber where very few have ever set foot. It houses a stairway of light leading to a portal that connects the world of Hyrule to the Sacred Realm, where Kazama has already invaded and defiled, making claim to all he could.

But there still remains another loose end...

In the center of the chamber, between the door and the stairway, a sword fit for nobility rests erect from its ancient pedestal in which it has laid untouched for countless ages. Beside this sacred blade a familiar, black-haired man sits in exhaustion, panting heavily as he strains to recover his strength. Looking up wearily through his red eyes to see the approaching wizard, he bows low as they come near.

"Master Kazama..." he greets submissively. "I see you have brought the goddess blood..."

"Yes, now step aside Crow," Kazama casually replies. "It is time to put my plan to work."

"Yes, my lord..." grunts Crow obediently, weakly lifting himself to his feet to make way. "But do you really believe merely drinking the blood of Hylia's linage will allow an Acheman to remove the Blade of Evil's Bane..? Even with the power of my bloodline, the seal would not begin to yield for me..."

"Fool! Do you doubt my genius?" scoffs the wizard. "Your heritage may not have been enough, but the daughters of the royal family of Hyrule carry more power in their blood than what flows through any other veins...even more so than the king himself! Surely the seal of the sword will yield to the blood of the goddess's heir."

"Very well. But I do advise to proceed with caution..." Crow warns. "That sword's power towards those it rejects...is more deadly than I imagined... It shames me to say it...but it nearly took my life when I was called in to pull it..."

Bloodvore scoffs arrogantly. "Ha! Spare me the cautionary lecture; I have bypassed more authentication spells than I can count!" He approaches the sacred sword confidently, mocking the many such spells he has been able to easily override in the past; "' _Only someone of THIS bloodline can lift that seal'... 'The path will only reveal itself to someone of THAT bloodline'..._ Pfft! Once I've drank the blood of the required heir, any power that's supposed to be accessible only to them yields to me just as it would to the 'chosen' ones! This silly sword will be no different than_ _AAAAYYIIIEEEE_ _.._!"

The instant the Acheman Champion's hand touches the sacred blade, a painful surge like he has never felt before courses through his Hylian princess body. His not-so-manly scream echos loudly throughout the temple's halls, audible even to those outside.

Kazama covers his ringing ears in a startled jolt. "Bloodvore! What the hog's butt is wrong with you?!"

"The... That sword..." Bloodvore pants weakly, grasping his stinging hand as he stares agape at the forbidden blade. "It... It _burnt_ me!"

"What?!" says Kazama in disbelief. "But you've taken the blood of the goddess's heir! It _has_ to yield to you!"

Crow is surprised not. "That is the same as it did to me... Even with the blood of the goddess, it still rejects him."

"But... that's impossible..!" says a bewildered Kazama. "Bloodvore! Focus yourself! You are the only chance we have at removing this blasted blade; don't you dare fail me!"

Bloodvore locks his eyes upon the sword with aggravation. He will _not_ let some silly artifact make a fool of him. Letting out a determined hiss, he grips the hilt once more, ready to defy all pain until he has triumphed over this insolent blade.

But it is not to be.

 _"AAAAYYIIIEEEEEEEEEE_ _.._!"

No sooner than his fingers wrap around the sacred weapon do his pained screams echo out all the more loudly than before. It takes all the strength he has just to keep his hands on the hilt. He cannot even begin to try and _pull_ it. Within seconds of contact with the holy sword, he can hold on no longer.

 _*Thud!*_

He falls flat on his back, barely breathing. His illusory shape broken, he has reverted involuntarily back into the form of an Acheman.

Kazama is overwhelmed at having his own plans fail. "I don't understand..! Why isn't the Hylian princess's blood lifting the seal?! Has the power faded from so many generations of only sons in the royal family? Or is Princess Zelda not the true heir? Has the royal bloodline been broken from some scandalous affair at one point in her family's history? I thought for certain the blood of the goddess would be enough to command the sword!"

"Master, I believe it is best not to push it any farther," Crow remarks, looking down at the near-dead Bloodvore. "I suggest we find another approach."

Kazama lets out an exasperated sigh. "Arborald! Heal him!" he commands the Arch Wizzrobe of Forest before turning back towards Crow; "You; get back out on sky patrol. See if you can find anything of that blasted Lynel who never reported in. The Scroll of Insight he was supposed to retrieve should provide the answers we're looking for."

Without another word, Crow bows obediently and straitens up. He is still weak from trying to pull the sword himself, but he has had enough time to rest; a strong life-potion should be enough to help him recover the rest of his strength before returning to duty. Stretching his weakened body, he picks himself up and begins to take leave.

Only to slip on his way out.

 _*Splat!*_

"Ow! What th_?! Why is the floor suddenly wet?!" he exclaims.

"H-hey..!" wheezes a flustered Bloodvore from under Arborald's healing rays. "Why don't _you_ try getting barbecued alive while your _bladder is full_ and see how well _you_ can hold it in..!"

Crow gives him a disgusted glare. "I believe these little _'incidents'_ could be far less messy if you monsters would just consider _wearing pants_ more often..!"

Kazama palms his face in exasperation. "Somebody clean that up..."

* * *

As monsters continue to flood in and overrun Castle Town, a Hylian swordsman and two royal Zoras stealthily make their way through the streets, taking care not to draw out attention on their way to the market-corner before everything is closed down by the Devastati.

At Princess Ruto's request, Link leads the royal Zoras to a place that deals in weapons, explosives, and armory. The Scroll of Insight in hand, they use it to detect monsters and the best path to avoid them. Navigation is going well.

So far so good. The three succeed to reach their destination undetected.

But it appears the Devastati has reached it first...

"Uh-oh..." whispers Link as he pulls to the side to hide in the shadows, beckoning the Zoras to do the same. "We may be too late..."

And too late they are. Within a visible distance away, the weaponry exchange is currently facing confiscation by six Stalfos.

"Oh, well isn't _that_ just convenient..." whispers Princess Ruto sarcastically. "Though I guess we should at least scan these new monsters while we have the chance..."

And scan them she does. Their data is successfully recovered in the Scroll of Insight's compendium. It reads the following;

 _"Stalfos:  
Fallen warriors whose skeletal remains have been reanimated by dark-magic. Its fighting-skills have been fully retained even after death, but the only feelings remembered in this soulless state are typically those of darkness. It can reanimate an infinite number of times as long as the skull remains intact, but cannot hold this form in daylight."_

The Stalfos bicker with the familiar-looking Goron who runs the shop. "This is your last chance, Goron!" threatens one; "All weapons now belong only to the Devastati! So hand over all your wares this instant...or we'll just take them along with your very life!"

The Goron, however, remains unafraid. "You know, before you boneheads go around making threats..." he says before seizing a Stalfos by the collarbone. "Maybe you should make sure you're actually capable of carrying them out first!"

 _*POW!*_

The Goron hits the Stalfos with a powerful uppercut.

...Knocking the hellion's head off and sending it flying over thirty feet across the horizon.

"MOMMEEEEEEEEEYYYYY..!" screams the Stalfos' head as it soars through the air.

"Oh, _now_ you've done it!" shouts one of the other Stalfos. "Get him, boys!"

The Stalfos all leap at the Goron with their weapons drawn to attack.

But he flips a table from his shop to knock them all back. He immediately follows by picking up a large hammer and swings it into one of the skeletal warriors, knocking it into one of its allies and sending both Stalfos crashing to the ground.

 _*Wham!*_

The two Stalfos are down. The Goron curls into a ball and slams his weight into them, completely crushing them both at once.

 _*Crunch!*_

The three remaining Stalfos try to attack. Link and Ruto look to each other with a nod. Motioning for Prince Zora Jr to keep hidden, the two get up to run to the Goron's aid with weapons in hand.

But their help is needed not.

The Goron grabs an attacking Stalfos by the wrist and tears its arm off. He then knocks the now- _unarmed_ Stalfos over and smashes it with his hammer.

 _*Slam!*_

One of the two remaining Stalfos tries to strike him from behind, but he leaps backward and slams into it with his weight, crushing it beneath his back.

The last Stalfos still alive (or rather; undead) attempts to stab the Goron in the belly while he is still on his back from crushing the previous one. But the Goron quickly curls up for protection and the attack collides with his stone shell instead.

As the Stalfos lands atop of the curled Goron, the latter suddenly pops up and launches the Stalfos off of himself and into the air like a springboard. Link and Ruto stop in their tracks to look up as the last of the fiends is thrown skyward. It cries out in panicked yell fit for an anthropomorphic dog from a cartoon;

"YAH-HOO-HOO-WHEEEEEE..!"

The Stalfos crashes to the ground seconds later. Its skeletal body shatters into multiple pieces.

 _*Crash!*_

As its head frantically hops about to try and (literally!) regather itself, the Goron pins it down with his foot.

"Uh..." says the nervous Stalfos head. "How about we just call it a draw..?"

The Goron has no part in it.

He simply crushes the head beneath his foot without a sweat.

 _*Crunch!*_

He beats his chest triumphantly and then begins to collect the weapons of the fallen hellions' to add to his wares; quite the opposite of what the Stalfos had in mind when they attempted to raid the place.

The head of the first Stalfos that the Goron had sent flying with an uppercut has now made its way back to the fight. But after seeing its comrades fall, it quickly decides to instead turn around and hop away before it is noticed; not even sticking around to reassemble itself.

Link and Ruto stare in awe as the victorious Goron collects the spoils of the battle, shocked to see how swiftly and effortlessly he was able to dispatch so many enemies single-handed. Link recognizes him to be the same Goron whom he had fought beside on the castle's rooftops earlier.

Prince Zora Jr steps out of the shadows to rejoin them. "Whoa..." says the little one. "That guy just took down _six_ Stalfos by himself before _you_ could even reach the fight!"

" _Pshht!_ Yes, yes. So I saw!" scoffs Princess Ruto, unwilling to show any sign of feeling inferior. "Not that _I_ couldn't have done better... Well anyway, at least this means that the shop is still open. And if the shopkeeper is also resisting the Devastati, then we won't have to worry about him reporting us either. So come on! Let's see if they have any useful equipment worth looking into."

The three approach the Goron's shop, though he notices them not. His back is turned to them at the moment.

"You there!" says Princess Ruto authoritatively. "We have need of your wares. What is the best equipment you have in stock?"

The Goron responds not. He stands oddly in place.

"Hey! Are you listening to me?!" Ruto persists. "I'm speaking to you!"

...

Still no response. Link and the Zoras are growing confused.

Ruto grows offended. She proceeds to walk around front of the unresponsive Goron. "Don't ignore me! I am a _princess!_ Not some 'terms-and-conditions' statement! I demand that you_ _YIKES..!"_

The Zora princess suddenly jolts back in alarm upon seeing the Goron's face, also startling Link and Zora Jr with her reaction.

The Goron's eyes are rolled to the back of his head. He is frothing terribly at the mouth like a rabid animal. His body is beginning to twitch and tremble with instability.

He speaks at last, roaring out in a maddened voice;

"GET OUT..!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Did you recognize the cartoon character being referenced in this chapter? LOL Anyway, sorry for uploading a little late this week. This chapter IS a bit longer...**

 **Anyway, for those who have read the previous version of this fanfic; you'll find that the next chapter is still pretty close to the original edition other than the opening. There will be a few more lines of dialogue added, but it's mainly just comedy. The** **beginning** **is the only part changed enough to be relevant if you've already read the original.**


	64. 7-4 Sell Something, Will Ya?

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 7: Escape From Castle Town_

 **Chapter 4  
** _Sell something, will ya?_

"GET OUT..!" screams the Goron madly, causing everyone to jump back in startle.

 _Has this guy gone insane?!_

"Wh-whoa..! Hold your horses!" says a shocked Ruto. "We're just customers looking to buy from you!"

The Goron shakes in agony, crying aloud in rage and prompting Ruto to take a quick step away from him. He suddenly snaps out of whatever crazed trance he seemed to be in and nearly falls over. "Ugh..! Wha_?!" he mutters gibberishly, panting hard as he slowly recovers his senses. "Huh? Wh-who's there..?!"

"What the halibut was _THAT?!"_ shouts Ruto, standing a short distance away from the dazed Goron with her rod ready to strike if necessary. "Certainly not the proper way to greet your customers if you want their business! That's for sure!"

Zora Jr hides behind Link. "Hey, uh...are you okay, sir?" says the little one warily.

The Goron rubs his eyes and wipes the froth from his mouth as he begins to make sense of his surroundings. "Eh..? Oh, it's that Zora princess from the ceremony earlier... Hey, and that runt_ er... ' _recruit'_ who helped set up my firework-stand back there."

"Oh, I _thought_ I recognized you..." says Link, confirming that this Goron is indeed the same one whom he had met earlier today.

"So do I, now that you mention it..." says Ruto, unimpressed. "He's the hillbilly who was thrown out of the banquet after he decided to eat the castle's silverware."

"Wait..." says Link. "He did _what_..?"

"Never you mind!" retorts the embarrassed Goron. "It's not _my_ fault they didn't offer anything better to eat back there! Don't blame _me_ if the only thing with good minerals at the table happens to be the forks and spoons!"

"Oh? I thought they had some pretty good food there," Zora Jr remarks. "There was lots of delicious cake, and caviar, and pudding, and popcorn, and all kinds of things."

"Ugh. Don't remind me..." grimaces the Goron, disgusted by the thought.

"Wait... Now that I think about it..." says Zora Jr in thought. "Does it seem kinda weird to be serving popcorn at a _royal_ banquet? I mean; don't they usually stick to only... _fancier_ stuff for these kinds of things?"

Ruto shrugs. "Meh. They were probably just trying to cut down on the costs with low-budget appetizers." She turns back to the Goron; "Anyhow, what was up with that nonsense you displayed just now; some kind of seizure?! You scared the _carp_ out of me!"

"What concern of it is _yours?!"_ snaps the Goron, surprisingly touchy. "Why don't you mind your own business?!"

"Don't you dare raise your voice to a princess!" scolds Ruto...in an even louder voice than the Goron had used. "But, _whatever!_ You want to talk business? Good! Then let's get back to the subject of why we're even here; let me see your best wares!"

" _Humph!_ So you're looking to buy something, are ya?" says the Goron. "Well the shop isn't open right now, and I'm already packing up to leave town while I still can, so you're going to have to pay an additional fine if you expect me to unload my wares all over again just for you to have a look!"

"Fair enough, I suppose," says Ruto with a bit of a scoff. "Now let's see what you have to offer."

"Not so fast!" says the Goron. "The wares you're asking to see cost at _least_ 800 rupees apiece... At the _very least!_ So before I go through the trouble of unloading them for you, let's see if you even _have_ that kind of money upfront!"

" _Hello-o-o?!_ I'm a _princess,_ you fool!" says Ruto in offense. "Of _course_ I can afford that!"

"If you have the money, then let's see it first," says the stubborn Goron. "I'm _not_ going to risk having my time wasted when I'm in a hurry!"

"Uh..." It suddenly occurs to Ruto that the servants who held their moneybag are still trapped in Hyrule Castle. She turns to face Link; "How much do you have, human?"

"What?! _Me?!"_ says Link in surprise. "B-but _you're_ the one who wanted to come here..! And I only have 30 rupees on hand..!"

" _Tsk!_ Well _that_ sure is inconvenient!" Ruto scoffs before turning back to the Goron. "Alright, I guess we're going to have to pay you later when we get back to Zoras Domain."

"No way!" protests the Goron. "If you don't have the money, then there's no sale!"

"But we _do_ have the money!" says Ruto. "It's just that we ended up separated from the rest of our tribe, including the servants who held our moneybag! But once we get back to Zora's Domain, our royal treasury should have _more_ than enough money to pay you back! With _interest!_ You just need to let us buy what we need now, and then leave an address to which we can send you the money after_"

"NO!" interrupts the Goron. "No deal! You either pay upfront, or there's no service! Period!"

"I _said_ you'll be paid with interest!" argues Ruto. "Now do as I say at _once_! You're in no place to argue with me! I'm a _princess_!"

"Oh, _are_ you..?" says the Goron in a mocking tone. "Sorry to have to break it to you kid, but your royal status doesn't mean _anything_ out here! You may be the princess of the _Zoras,_ but once you've stepped outside of your domain...you're just like anyone else! I don't have to take orders from the likes of _you!_ "

"Yeah, yeah..." says Ruto in annoyance. "And I'm sure that if _Zelda_ commanded anything of you, you'd obey, now wouldn't you?!"

"That's because _she's_ the princess of Hyrule itself!" says the Goron. "Not of some irrelevant tribe I have no connection to! I may be required to do whatever the royal family of _Hyrule_ orders of me, but any demands coming from some Zora mean _nothing_ to me!"

Link can see the rage building in Ruto's eyes. "I think we should go..." says he, hoping to end this heated moment before the feisty princess explodes.

"Yeah," says Zora Jr in agreement. "The sooner the better."

"Not yet!" says Ruto, too stubborn to allow herself to be denied anything she asks for. "Look," she says to the Goron, "If you're not going to sell me what I'm looking for, then maybe someone else will! Tell me where I can find another place around here that sells battle-equipment."

"There isn't any," says the Goron. "The Devastati have already closed down every shop in town that sells weapons and confiscated their goods. I'm the only one who could put up enough of a fight to keep them from making off with my wares. But I still can't hold them off forever! That's why I need to get out of town while I still can and sell the rest of my goods only to _paying_ customers!"

"But we _can_ pay!" argues Ruto. "I keep telling you; you'll get paid with _interest_ once we make it back to Zora's Domain! You'll be getting _more_ than what you wares are even worth if you would just cooperate!"

"I can't afford it!" says the Goron. "After all; how do I know you're _really_ going to pay me back once I've given you my wares?! I've lived long enough to know _very well_ what a deceitful world this is! Only a fool trusts a stranger to keep their end of a bargain after you've already given them what they want! Besides, once I've sold you my best wares, what am I supposed to do in the present while waiting for you to pay me back?! I'm already broke!"

"You're broke..?" asks Link. "But...didn't the castle pay you for all those fireworks you were hired to bring in for the celebration today..?"

"They were _supposed_ to!" says the Goron. "I had spent the past two weeks preparing a dozen crates full of firecrackers, and I was _told_ that I'd get paid tonight after I've finished the evening-finale, but then the castle was taken over before they paid me, and now my past _two weeks_ worth of work have gone unpaid for! I can't afford anymore I.O.U.'s!"

"I see..." says Link sympathetically. "I'm very sorry to hear that..."

"Oh well, I guess that's that..." says Zora Jr. "Can we go now..? My arm is really hurting and I'm getting dizzy..."

"Wait..." says Ruto. "I have one last offer."

"If it's another I.O.U.; forget it!" says the Goron.

"No," says Ruto, removing her bracelet from her right-wrist before presenting it to the Goron. "...This!"

The Goron looks with great interest at the royal heirloom.

"This bracelet was once worn by my mother," explains Ruto. "It's made from only the purest of gold so it won't rust. And these sapphires and rubies are the real thing and imbued with magic. This alone is worth at _least_ 5,000 rupees! And the fact that it was a heirloom passed down by royalty should _easily_ double or triple that worth! I assure you; this should be worth _more_ than anything you have to sell! So if you have anything for sale that would be of interest to me...perhaps _this_ would do as payment..?"

"Well, since you put it that way..." says the Goron, his eyes resting upon the bracelet greedily. "Alright! I suppose we _could_ have a deal here. What are you looking for?"

"We need some protective equipment for a journey back to Zora's Domain," explains Ruto. "Do you carry any good-quality armor that would fit me and my escort here?"

"Well, then you've come to the right place!" says the Goron. "We Gorons _are_ the experts, after all. Our tribe's weapons are agreed to be the strongest in all of Hyrule! And we make heatproof armor and clothing that can make _any_ wearer, even a human or a Zora, withstand the temperatures of an active volcano! Our materials are highly coveted in places as far off as Hytopia, and those Hytopians are pretty picky!"

"Yes, I've heard of all this," replies Ruto, growing impatient. "Now enough bragging and on with our business already! I haven't got all evening!"

"Of course," says the Goron. "I can provide you with two sets of my best magic armor; it's lightweight, strongly durable, and completely fireproof! Which should be especially helpful for _you_ , with how sensitive Zoras are to heat and all."

"Very well," says Ruto. "We'll take it!"

"There's just one problem..." says the Goron.

"Go figure..." says Ruto. "And what's _that..?_ "

"It ain't gonna fit you," answers the Goron, looking over the sizes of Ruto and Link. "I can easily make some adjustments, but you're going to have to wait until tomorrow if you want it."

"We don't have time for that, you simpleton!" says Ruto. "We need to leave by morning at the very latest!"

"Then I'll tell you what..." says the Goron. "You'll be leaving eastward if you're headed for Zora's Domain, right? So I'll just write you out a claim-check for two suits of my special armor, then you can meet me along the road east from town for rendezvous tomorrow morning after I've finished with the adjustments. How's that?"

"I suppose that would work..." says Ruto. "It's a deal!"

"Good!" says the Goron. "The meeting place will be under the first bridge on the eastern road from town. I'm sure you'll find it easily; it's impossible to miss. But it's like I said; I'm only taking business that pays _upfront._ So before I begin to write you out any claim-check or get started on making the adjustments, you're gonna have to pay up _now_ or there's no sale!"

"Fine," answers Ruto as she hands over the bracelet. "Here's the bracelet. Take it respectfully!"

"Perfect!" says the Goron, accepting the payment. "Now I'll just need your measurements for fitting and we're good to go..."

The Goron writes out the claim-check and proceeds to measure Link and Ruto for fitting. As long as they are waiting out the brief procedure, Ruto decides to take the time to scan the Goron with the Scroll of Insight, restoring the following entry to its compendium;

 _"Goron:_  
 _A tribe of stone-folk whose diet consists entirely of rocks and other such minerals. Their rocky bodies provide much protection and can withstand extreme temperatures of heat, enabling them to thrive in volcanic regions. Though generally docile, they tend to take much pride in their great strength and competitions of it are common in their culture."_

When measurements are complete, Ruto, Link, and Zora Jr depart from the Goron's presence with the promise from him that they will receive their armor in the morning as long as they have that claim-check in hand.

"Nice doing business with you!" calls out the Goron as they leave.

Once they are out of sight, the Goron looks to the priceless bracelet in his hand with a snicker. "(That was so easy I almost feel guilty...)" he thinks to himself with a smirk as he fondles the treasure greedily. "(What foolish kids! They completely fell for that claim-check gimmick! It's like I said; this _is_ a deceitful world... And only a _fool_ trusts a stranger to keep their end of a bargain after you've already given them what they want!)"

He takes a moment to inspect the bracelet and admire his ill-gotten gain. "(So this is worth thousands of rupees, eh? I'm holding a fortune right in my very hands!)" he thinks as he takes a small lick. "(Mm! Not bad tasting either! I wouldn't mind making a meal of this if it weren't going to make me rich! ...Seriously, whose idea was it to ever use such perfectly delicious and edible minerals as gold and gemstones as a means of currency, anyhow?)"

Unbeknownst to the Goron, he is being silently observed from afar...

A mysterious figure with three colored wisps orbiting its head peers into his heart and sees his true intentions.

" _(O deceitful one...)"_ thinks the golden-gleamed being. _"(Although you may believe that your actions_ _were clever...but not even the smallest act of darkness goes unnoticed by those who are of the light..!)"_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Now, before anyone comments about how Goron's don't like the taste of** **gemstones, as explicated numerous times in BotW, I just want to point out that they _did_ in OoT, when many wanted to eat the Goron's Ruby, and also in _Spirit Track_ s, where amber was regarded by them as a "gourmet delicacy", and so BotW contradicts previous canon in that way. But since it takes place well over 10,000 years after any other game in the timeline, I'm just going with the theory that the Gorons had come to the decision at some point that gems, due to their financial value, are best reserved for trading rather than eating (as the Goron in this chapter is doing now), and so they contended themselves to eating only the more common, yet equally delicious, regular rocks to preserve gems. Thus, as the ages passed, the taste of gems grew to be foreign to later generation of Gorons who found them distasteful. But this story, however, takes place early in the timeline, and so the Gorons of this era still enjoy eating gems.**

 **For those of you who have read the original edition of this fanfic; as I said previously, the only big change to this chapter is the opening, with the Goron now having some strange seizure when approached. The only other edits are; 1: the return of the reoccurring popcorn joke, and 2: Ruto now scans the Goron with the Scroll of Insight. Aside from that, it's almost exactly the same as before. Likewise, the next chapter has barely changed either (except for a few new lines at the very end) but Ch 7-6 will be entirely new.**


	65. 7-5 Masterminds

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 7: Escape From Castle Town_

 **Chapter 5** **  
** _Masterminds_

Treading quietly down a dark alleyway to avoid detection, her companions beside her and claim-check in hand, Princess Ruto looks to her now-bare right-wrist with an obvious sign of annoyance on her face.

"Humph! Stupid Goron!" scoffs she. "That greedy pig couldn't just wait until later to get his payment... Now I had to give away my mother's best bracelet to that lowly hillbilly just to get him to sell me what I needed! All I can say is; that armour I'm buying from him had _better_ be worth it! If it turns out to be some cheap junk, I am _so_ going to kill that rock-headed buffoon!"

"I'm surprised you even proposed the deal in the first place," says Zora Jr.

"I didn't have much choice," says Ruto. "That bracelet was the only thing I had on hand now that the servants carrying the moneybag are sealed away in the castle."

"Actually, what I meant is that I'm surprised that you would think getting armour would even be that important..." corrects Junior. "It's only a two-day trip to Zora's Domain on foot; even _I_ didn't think armour would be _that_ important! Why do you think we'll need it so bad?"

"We need to be prepared for anything," Ruto answers.

"Since when have _you_ been one to care about _being prepared_..?" says Junior, raising his brow. "You _always_ insist that you can handle everything as you are and then end up carelessly making a mess of things because you weren't prepared for them!"

"Oh, hush up! I'm not _that_ careless!" snaps Ruto. "After all, I'm being prepared _now,_ aren't I?! Besides, I _can_ handle this as I am without the need for any armour, but the Devastati are going to be out looking for us now that we've already killed some of their soldiers, so it's not going to hurt to have on hand."

"True, but it just seems weird to be coming from _you,_ " says Junior; "...The very Queen of Disaster herself!"

 _*Whap!*_

"Ack..!"

"See what kind of _disaster_ you bring upon yourself if you fail to respect me again!" says Ruto, having flicked her brother in the face with her fin.

" _Hmph!_ Touchy!" scoffs Junior.

"Now then," says Ruto to Link; "I assume you know your way around here enough to be trusted to come up with a good escape route for us?"

Link nods. "It's a little out of the way, but if we leave by the Southern Gate we can stop by my home to rest up for the night and gather some things we'll need. I live outside of town, so I don't think the Devastati will have struck there just yet."

"Sounds decent enough," says Ruto. "Very well. Take us there now."

"But we have to make sure we aren't seen or followed on the way out..." cautions Link.

"Obviously. Now let's get going." Ruto steps out of the alley that they were hiding in and proceeds northward.

"Not that way..." says Link. "I said ' _south'_."

"Huh..?! Uh, right..!" says a flustered Ruto. "I knew that! I was just...making sure the coast is clear on both ends!"

Junior is unconvinced. "Uh-huh... _Sure_ you were..."

"Pay him no mind," says Ruto to Link. "Now lead the way, human! We haven't got all evening!"

Link leads the Zoras quietly through Castle Town, hiding in the shadows and staying off the main roads as much as possible to avoid detection. Ruto uses the Scroll of Insight's map to keep an eye on enemy movements.

Unbeknownst to any of them; a golden-gleamed figure follows from afar, silently observing their every thought and action alike as it floats soundlessly in the air a distance behind them...

As the party comes to a corner, the scroll detects the presence of three Wosu on guard ahead. Zora Jr shudders at the thought, recalling painfully the one that beat him with its club while they held him hostage moments ago.

"We can take these guys!" whispers Princess Ruto, eager for a fight.

"Probably not all of them before at least one signals for backup..." warns Link. "We should avoid conflict..."

"Then what do _you_ suggest we do..?" asks Ruto with a scowl.

"We might be able to sneak past them if we create a diversion..." Link answers, picking up a small stone from the alleyway.

Peering quietly around the corner, Link sees the three Wosu. When none are facing his direction to notice, he tosses the stone across from them.

 _*Thump!*_

The sound catches their attention, drawing the Wosu to face the direction of the noise and away from Link and the Zoras.

"What was that sound?!"

"It came from over there!"

"Let's check it out!"

While the Wosu have their backs turned in distraction, Link motions for the Zoras to move while keeping his bow at the ready in case any of their foes should notice them. He follows immediately once the Zoras have crossed safely. It seems they have made it passed undetected...

"There you are!" snarls a Wosu.

 _...Or not._

Link freezes in place at the sound of the monster's voice behind him.

The Wosu holds its knife to its caught victim, ready to strike the culprit dead at the first sign of resistance. "Thought you could get by us, did you?" says the fiend, its eyes burning with the desire to kill. "Well, you thought _wrong.._!"

Link has but a second to react. Within a single motion, he turns quickly to face the Wosu with his bow poised to fire as they approach...

...The rock?

"Here it is, boys!" says the Wosu as it holds its knife to the stone on the ground, completely oblivious to Link and the Zoras. "I found our carpet!"

"' _Carpet'?_ " says a second Wosu. "You mean ' _culprit'!"_

"Whatever!" snarls the first. "The point is; that stone made the noise!"

"Are you sure..?" questions the third Wosu.

"I'm positive!" says the black-garbed Wosu as it picks up the stone. "See? Just listen!"

It throws the stone against a wall in demonstration and recreates the noise.

 _*Thump!*_

"You're right!" says the third Wosu in amazement. "Brilliant detection!"

Having caught their culprit, the three Wosu gather around the stone to interrogate it;

Wosu 1: "What do you think you're doing wandering these streets on the Devastati's watch?! We caught you red-handed! Don't think you can weasel your way out of this one, you suspicious rock, you!"

Wosu 3: "That's right! Don't assume we're a bunch of idiots! We know that _you're_ the one who made that sound just now! You can't fool us!"

Wosu 2: "Uh... Guys..? Why are you questioning a _rock_..? It can't answer you... It's not even alive."

Wosu 1: "You saw for yourself that this rock is what made the noise!"

Wosu 3: "Yeah! Don't let it trick you into thinking it's innocent! This rock is up to something! That's for sure!"

Wosu 2: "But shouldn't we be more worried about whoever it was that _threw_ the rock and not the rock itself..?"

Wosu 1: "Don't be stupid! Just look around; there's no one around here who could've thrown it! That's just what it _wants_ us to believe so that we'll turn our backs to look for someone who might have thrown it...and then it'll sneak away while we're distracted!"

The previously-skeptical Wosu gasps in horror. "You're right! Good thinking, bro! I can't believe I actually almost fell for that! What a sneaky rock!"

Wosu 1: "You _would've_ realized it yourself if you'd been thinking properly! Honestly! It's a good thing you're on patrol with us masterminds or you would have just fallen for that simple diversion and let the _real_ carpet get away!"

Wosu 2: "' _Culprit'!"_

Wosu 1: "Like _you're_ in any position to be correcting _me_ after I just saved you from nearly making an act of total stupidity just now! Let's face it; _I'm_ obviously the intelligent-er one here! _You're_ the stupid one! If one of us is pronouncing a word wrong; it'd obviously have to be _you,_ not me!"

Wosu 2: "I guess you're probably right... Man! I wish _I_ was smart like you..."

Wosu 3: "Hey, wait! Who's keeping an eye on the suspect while you guys are talking..?"

Wosu 1: "What?! We thought _you_ were!"

Wosu 2: "This ain't good! What if it got away?! Tell me you didn't lose sight of it!"

Wosu 3: "Uh... It couldn't have got far! It _must_ be around here somewhere..!"

Wosu 1: "We have to find it! We can't let it get away!"

The three Wosu look around in panic, frantically scanning the area in every direction for wherever the sneaky rock may have escaped to while their backs were turned.

...None thinking to look in the very spot in the midst of them, where it still remains motionlessly since before they took their eyes off it.

Link and the Zoras exchange a baffled shrug at they move along, confused by these hellions' utter stupidity. That simple rock has bought them an even greater diversion than they could have bargained for.

 _It is actually almost pathetic..._

As the panicked Wosu continue their desperate search for the presumably _'escaped'_ culprit, the second one at last makes an observant breakthrough of a discovery; "Oh, wait! There it is! It's still in the exact same spot as it was before we took our eyes off it!"

"Whew! Thank goodness!" says the third with a sigh of relief.

"Good tracking skills!" commends the first. "Looks like you're not _totally_ stupid after all!"

"Well... I do my best..." says the second Wosu proudly, brushing the dust from its shoulders while making its best effort to appear humble.

Their captive back in custody again, the three Wosu resume their heated interrogation of the stone;

Wosu 1: "Now then... Back to your interrogation! You won't be pulling any more of your tricks on us! You may be sneaky, but so are we!"

Wosu 3: "That's right! We Wosu are masterminds! There's no outsmarting us!"

Wosu 2: "And even if you do, we'll just catch on and come back stronger and smarter than ever before! That's what makes us worthy of the Devastati!"

Wosu 1: "You heard 'em! Now drop your games and just spill the beans! What are you doing out here on the Devastati's turf?! I see you lack our Seal of Subjection!"

The Wosu stand around the stone with their knives pointed at it. But (un)surprisingly, the stone remains completely still and silent no matter how long they menacingly stare at it.

Wosu 2: "So you ain't gonna talk, eh? Well, we've got our ways..."

Wosu 1: "We sure do! We know how to deal with unruly rocks like you! So you'd better speak up now before we take you to Master Kazama! He won't be showing you any mercy!"

Wosu 3: "You can just imagine the look on his face when we've brought _you_ into custody! And I guarantee ya; he ain't gonna be happy to see ya!"

Wosu 2: "Boy, we sure are good at our job!"

Wosu 3: "We sure are! What would Master Kazama ever do without us?"

Wosu 1: "I know, right? I don't understand why he hasn't given us any sort of promotions yet! With livers like ours, there ain't no one who could outsmart us!"

Wosu 2: "Wait... What do our livers have to do with anything..?"

Wosu 1: "Well, _duh!_ That's the part of the body where all the intelligence is held! Everyone knows that!"

Wosu 2: "But I thought the _brain_ is the part that holds intelligence..."

Wosu 1: "There you go being the idiot again! Now I see why we haven't been promoted yet! _You're_ holding us back with your stupidity!"

Wosu 3: "Not cool, man! If you didn't have such good tracking skills, I'd kill you right now so that we wouldn't have to work with such an _idiot_ like you who gives the Wosu a bad name!"

Wosu 2: "Sorry..."

Wosu 1: "Just be glad that we've got this rowdy prisoner in custody! Maybe Master Kazama will finally recognize our worth once we've brought this trouble-maker to him!"

Wosu 3: "Wait! Speaking of the prisoner; who's watching it right now?!"

Wosu 2: "Oh no! Did it get away again?!"

Wosu 1: "Quick! We have to find it!"

Wosu 3: "What a sneaky little thing! That's the second time now that it's given us the slip! We're seriously dealing with a formidable foe!"

Wosu 1: "All the more reason to quit yapping and catch it before it gets away!"

Wosu 2: "Wait! There it is! It hid in the same spot as last time!"

Wosu 3: "Ha! What a fool! That rock may be sneaky, but at the same time; it sure is stupid! You'd have to be a total _idiot_ to make the same mistake _twice_ in a row!"

Wosu 1: "Good work, boys! After capturing such a formidable foe _three times_ in a row like this, perhaps we'll be getting that promotion after all!"

Wosu 2: "And _I_ was the capture-er _two_ of those times! Boy, I can't wail till Master Kazama sees this!"

Wosu 3: "Yeah! Just imagine how he'll react when he finally gets to see how smart and competent we really are!"

"I think he'd rather be spared the disappointment..." snarls another voice.

The three Wosu turn in startle. Before them stands a white Wolfos in a bearskin with six lesser Wolfos in her company.

"Well, if it isn't Huntress!" sneers the first Wosu; "Wolfos Champion and so-called _'greatest tracker among the Devastati'..._ Too bad you're losing that second title to _us_ tonight!"

"I suppose you're on a hunt now, aren't you?" mocks the second. "Well, we're already _way_ ahead of you... 'cause we just caught ourselves a sneaky culpr_ er... _carpet! __ without even being asked to!"

"Got that right!" gloats the third, holding up the stone for the Wolfos to see. "Whatever prisoners _you_ bring in can't possibly compare to this clever one _we_ just nabbed!"

Huntress is unimpressed. "...A _rock?"_

Wosu 1: "Don't underestimate it! It's got a lot more liver than you'd think!"

Wosu 2: "Yeah! It almost got away from us! ... _Twice!"_

Wosu 3: "But us being the _mastermind hunters_ we are; we tracked it down again with no problem, naturally."

The Wolfos Champion and her pack dignify not these idiot Wosu with a response. They merely walk through their midst sniffing the ground, paying the fools no heed and focusing only on their hunt.

"What's the matter?" taunts the first Wosu. "Can't admit you've been _surpassed?_ How's it feel knowing that the Wolfos is only the _second-rate_ canine?! We Wosu are the intelligent-er dog-men of th_"

 _*Freeze!*_

"Shut up..." says an unamused Huntress, nonchalantly projecting an ice-spell over her shoulder to freeze the insufferable Wosu's mouth shut. "You're annoying."

The other two Wosu jolt back in fear. "Uh... Maybe we shouldn't rub it in too much to Huntress when she's armed..?" whispers the second.

"Yeah..." agrees the third, proceeding to beat the rock against their muffled companion's frozen snout in attempt to break it free from the encasing ice. "She gets pretty nasty when she's envious..."

Ignoring the imbeciles, Huntress continues sniffing the ground. She quickly finds the very recent scent of fresh footsteps from two specimens of a certain species not usually seen around here.

The very species she is searching for.

 _*Sniff!*_ "Zora..!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! This may not be one of the most eventful chapters, but it's still one of my favorites for obvious reasons. XD**


	66. 7-6 Prey of the Hunt

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 7: Escape From Castle Town_

 **Chapter 6** **  
** _Prey of the Hunt_

Monsters roaming the streets. Civilians being herded like cattle are confined to house-arrest under watch of their new _'masters'._ Nothing in Castle Town is as it should be.

Link and the Zoras proceed with utmost caution, tracking their enemies' movement using the Scroll of Insight and moving only when the coast is clear. They occasionally take out by surprise a weaker enemy, such as a Wosu or Bokoblin, as they encounter them, but still take care not to attack any more than necessary in order to prevent drawing out attention.

Iron-clad Darknuts are on heavy patrol, ready to strike dead anyone caught trying to escape the Devastati's rule. Stronger enemies such as these are avoided at all costs, as Link and Ruto would not easily be able to eliminate one faster than it can alert reinforcements.

The three runaways duck down in a dark alleyway. They reconnoiter their surroundings on the scroll.

"So far, so good," whispers Ruto. "This next roadway seems clear...but maybe a little _too_ clear... Greenie, take a look and see if you can spot any new monsters that the scroll can't detect yet."

Link nods compliantly. He peers around the corner cautiously...

And then quickly pulls back!

"I take it you saw something..?" asks Ruto.

Link nods. "Wizzrobes," he whispers. "Two of them."

She hands him the scroll. "Scan them."

Accepting the Scroll of Insight into his hands, the Hylian is initially unsure how to use it but quickly finds that it responds to his mere will. From the shadows he scans a Wizzrobe as commanded, recovering the following data;

" _Wizzrobe:  
A being whose essence is composed entirely of magic. It wields spells more than any other monster and comes in many variants. Though its appearance and abilities may vary drastically, all Wizzrobes are easily distinguishable by the magic robes they don and cannot exist without."_

Link hands Ruto back the scroll. She looks at the number of Wizzrobes scattered across the map of town with a grimace. "We may need to backtrack a little and circle around to avoid these powerful enemies..." she whispers.

The three share a reluctant sigh and proceed to turn back. They had already slain the few Bokoblins guarding the path behind them, so at least they know all is recently clear in this direction.

 _*Freeze!*_

...Or not!

"What the halibut..?!" says Ruto in alarm, jolting back as a blast of ice hits the ground before her.

Standing upon a nearby rooftop, silhouette illuminated by the moonlight, is a white lupine beast in a bearskin wrap;

Huntress.

Blizzard Spear in paw, she holds it pointed to the Zora princess below. The night wind blows through her bristling fur. "There..!" she snarls to her pack. "There's our prey! Now... show me the fruits of your training!"

Six lesser lupines rush in. Their eyes, they blaze like pale fire. Teeth as sharp as knives are splayed with howls and snarls.

"Wolfos!" calls Ruto, taking but a quick second to scan the beasts with the Scroll of Insight before pointing her bladed rod to strike. "Junior! Get back!"

Although Wolfos are fully adapt at using only fang and claw to slay their victims, these are fully trained to wield weapons with utmost efficiency; two bearing spears, another two possess tomahawks, and still another two; sai.

The data recovered in the scroll's compendium reads the following;

" _Wolfos:  
Considerably more intelligent than most other monsters, these lupine beasts haunt the wilderness and can disappear into the ground at will to emerge again suddenly to ambush victims. The thick undercoat of a Wolfos is strong enough to block attacks like lightweight armor, though it is vulnerable to fire and its backside is less protected."_

The Wolfos obstruct the path out of the alleyway, but the twin Wizzrobes still remain on the other end. The party is trapped no matter which way they go.

Wasting no time, Link fires an arrow.

 _*Thwack!*_

But a Wolfos blocks it by merely raising its wrists in defense. The thick fur is nearly impenetrable and shields against the arrow like mail armor.

The two sai-wielding Wolfos in the front take a defensive stance to cover those behind them. The two spear-wielders are heaved by the tomahawk-wielders and leap over the party, landing on the opposite end of the alleyway to prevent their prey from escaping.

Now surrounded by four Wolfos on one side and two more on the other, Link and Ruto quickly stand back-to-back keeping a timid Junior protectively in between; Link faces the two spear-wielders while Ruto faces the other four.

All Wolfos in position, Huntress barks again. Her underlings all maul simultaneously from both ends.

Ruto reacts quickly, stepping back to pull in closer to her companions before casting her magic beneath them; " _Hydros!"_

 _*Sploosh!*_

A column of water lifts the three of them above the incoming attacks. Link quickly leaps over the two spear-wielders' heads, aiming his bow for their backsides as he does. Like in previous battles today, time seems to stand still as he focuses. He successfully fires multiple arrows into the lupine fiends' backs in midair as he leaps them.

 _*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*_

Upon landing, he realizes this should not have been physically possible, for he was only in midair for a split second. _How does he keep doing that today?!_

But now is no time to wonder. From atop the pillar of water, Ruto quickly tosses her brother over the spear-wielding Wolfos to Link on the ground below. He catches him safely as Ruto leaps down after. She assaults the two Wolfos beneath her with a watery shockwave. "Take this, you mutts!"

 _*Wham!*_

The two spear-wielders down and wounded, Link swiftly jumps in and finishes one off with his sword during the aftermath of Ruto's strike. "Hyeah!"

 _*Stab!*_

The first Wolfos has been slain. Ruto follows up and attempts to finish the remaining spear-wielder as Link pulls his sword from the fallen one's carcass.

But her blow lands not.

" _AWOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!"_

The sound of howls above her, the two tomahawk-wielders have heaved their allies over the fountain from her Hydros spell. The sai-wielders land in from above, catching Ruto's rod between the spokes of their weapons to pin her down.

"Hey! Get off me!" yells the pinned Zora princess. "Bad dogs! Bad dogs!"

Link tries to defend her. He swings at the Wolfos attacking Ruto, forcing them to jump back to avoid the blow. But a tomahawk-wielder is heaved over the column of water by the other. It lands beside Link, forcing him to leap back to evade a hit himself.

The wounded spear-wielder regains its footing and rejoins the fight. The pillar of water from Ruto's Hydros dies down, making way for the second tomahawk-wielder to enter the fray. Ruto and Link are fighting two against five.

"Junior!" shouts Ruto; "Run!"

The two nearby Wizzrobes have noticed the fighting. "What have we here?!" says one.

 _*Freeze!*_

"Back off!" barks Huntress authoritatively, jumping in and projecting an ice attack between the Wizzrobes and the fighting as a warning. "That's _MY_ prey...to train _MY_ pack!"

The Wizzrobes back away in haste, leaving this battle to the Wolfos. It is a general rule of the Devastati never to anger those who rank higher than yourself, lest they strike you dead. "So be it..." says one. "Your pack evidently does indeed have great need of this training..."

The other points down the road. "...Especially since they're just letting one of their targets get clean away!"

Huntress turns in haste to see Prince Zora Jr fleeing to safety as instructed of him, protectively gripping his injured arm as he runs. The White Wolfos Alpha gives a commanding bark. One of her tomahawk-wielding underlings abandons the fight to chase down the escaping little one.

Link and Ruto are now fighting two against four, which is still enough to overwhelm them both. These Wolfos use coordinated teamwork beyond any of the monsters they have fought thus far. The two warriors are unable to land a hit and can only defend against attacks from both sides.

 _*Whoosh!*_

Three colored wisps appear suddenly and inexplicably from nowhere before the attacking Wolfos' faces, startling the lupine hellions and throwing off their timing.

...Granting Ruto and Link the split-second needed to counteract.

 _*Slash!* *Thrust!*_

Two Wolfos are struck. Link and Ruto are able to sidestep the fiends in their brief instant of recoil and retreat past them out of the narrow alleyway. Ruto casts her glyph one again; " _Hydros!"_

 _*Sploosh!"_

A new column of water blocks the four Wolfos in the alley as their targets retreat. It will only hold them for but a few seconds, but that still buys just enough time for the two warriors to momentarily get out of their disadvantageous position.

The tomahawk-wielding Wolfos easily catches Junior and pins him down. The young Zora braces himself for a painful death.

But it is the Wolfos who yelps in pain.

 _*Stab!*_

"YIPE!"

Ruto has thrown the Rod of Jabuni straight ahead into the beast's vulnerable backside like a javelin. Link follows up by drawing his bow and barraging the Wolfos with arrows to finish it before they even close in.

 _*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*_

"Don't worry! I'm coming!" says Ruto, rushing to her brother's side with her arm outstretched to recollect what matters most to her before her foes get there first. "I'm not losing you again!"

She snatches up the Rod of Jabuni from the deceased Wolfos' carcass. "Gotcha! _Whew!_ It's almost scary not having you in hand, even for a second!" she says to it before looking down to her brother. "Oh, yeah. And are you okay?"

"Ugh... Am I..?" grunts Junior as Link hastily helps him up.

"Keep moving!" says Ruto. "Here they come!"

The four remaining Wolfos have already heaved one another over the column of water. Huntress has leaped it effortlessly on her own. The Wizzrobes stand aside as the lupine monsters run after their prey.

Ruto spots a well not far ahead; a dead-end for most races, but to a Zora; a safe passage through Castle Town's underground waterways. "This way!" commands she, pulling her brother along. Link follows while firing a barrage of arrows at the incoming beasts to slow them down as best he can. Ruto casts her glyph behind her as she runs; " _Hydros!"_

The water provides only a small obstacle for the Wolfos to run around, but still stalls them enough to buy about two valuable seconds of time. Ruto reaches the well and immediately throws her brother in.

...Just before being frozen in place by Huntress's ice attack!

 _*Freeze!*_

Seeing the Zora princess frozen behind him, Link is at a loss of what to do. Left alone to face four armed Wolfos and their mighty champion single-handed, he stands no chance of defeating them himself.

But there is no turning back now... It is his duty to defend these Zoras to the death!

The Wolfos gaining ground on him by the second and nearly upon him, Link swerves to the side, hoping to draw the beasts away from the Zoras. He fires an arrow straight at their leader.

 _*Thwack!*_

It hits Huntress in the head, agitating her but doing only minor damage. Her life-force is much too powerful to be reduced significantly by a single arrow like that.

"This way, Dog-Breath!" Link calls out, trying to keep their attention focused on him. It works well.

...Too well.

In seconds, the Wolfos knock him down. He knew his chances of getting even the least bit far were slim. And he was right.

 _Looks like this is how it ends..._

"Finish this pest..." snarls Huntress. "Then we'll take the Zoras to Master Kazama."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! New chapter; new cliffhanger. LOL I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible. This episode is much different now than what it was in the original edition.**


	67. 7-7 Down the Well

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 7: Escape From Castle Town_

 **Chapter 7** **  
** _Down the Well_

"Finish this pest..." snarls Huntress. "Then we'll take the Zoras to Master Kazama."

Both his arms held painfully in the jaws of a vicious Wolfos on either side, Link is rendered incapable of resistance. No allies to rescue him, he braces himself for death as a third Wolfos pounces at him with spear in hand and jaws splayed to kill.

" _AWOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!"_ howls the incoming beast, eager to dismember this insulting Hylian who had previously struck it with an arrow less than a minute ago.

A glyph bearing the symbol of the Zora suddenly appears beneath them. " _Hyrdos!"_ calls a certain Zora's voice from behind.

 _*Sploosh!*_

The Wolfos are lifted into the air by the unexpected column of water raising from the glyph.

...But then again, so is Link.

Huntress is taken by surprise as Princess Ruto -somehow already fully thawed from the ice- rushes in and strikes her from behind with her bladed rod as she darts by.

 _*Slash!*_

Link and the four surrounding Wolfos alike hit the ground after being thrown into the air by the water's torrent. The Zora princess hits and runs; striking the Wolfos Champion and any underlings she passes as she rushes in to retrieve her ally and guide. "Come on! Get up and go!" she says as she extends her whip to the dazed Hylian to quickly pull him up.

He is just as baffled as the Wolfos are as to how she managed to break free from the ice that had encased her barely ten seconds ago, but now is no time to question. Link compliantly grips Ruto's magical whip and takes off running with her immediately upon being pulled to his feet, striking a Wolfos in the face with his shield as he passes it. Though his bow and blade have been flung from his grasp, he has no time to retrieve them. Every second precious for survival at this decisive moment, he can only follow in tow of Ruto.

The Wolfos try to stop the fleeing pair before they can reach the well again. Red and blue wisps appear suddenly before the beasts' faces, startling them into missing their chance to react. Ruto and Link bat the lupine fiends away with rod and shield mid-sprint as they pass them. One of the sai-wielders is struck dead after a direct blow from the Rod of Jabuni penetrates its skull.

Huntress will not allow their escape. The outraged Alpha takes it into her own paws to thwart them by projecting another ice attack to freeze these escapees in their tracks.

But a green wisp appears suddenly in front of her face, startling her so that she misses her targets.

Ruto and Link reach the well. The former jumps in and drags the latter down before he can react. "Here we go..!" says she.

"Wait..! I can't_ Aaaaaack..!" says Link as he is pulled into the well against his desire.

 _*Splash!*_

Huntress grows desperate. She leaps to the edge of the well and casts an ice spell after them. Ruto counters by casting her glyph onto the well's wall behind her. " _Hydros!"_

 _*Sploosh!* *Freeze!*_

The water summoned from Ruto's glyph intercepts Huntress's ice attack and is immediately frozen solid. A thick wall of ice now completely closes the opening, cutting both parties off from one another. Nothing will be entering nor exiting this well again anytime tonight.

"No!" snarls Huntress in anger and disbelief. For the first time in ages, her prey has escaped her.

" _Whew!_ We made it..!" says Ruto in relief, looking up from beneath the water to the ice blocking the opening above. She illuminates her rod to provide the party with light to see in this pitch-black underground. "Everyone okay?"

"I think so..." gurgles Zora Jr underwater. "But I think Link needs air."

"Huh?" Ruto looks to the Hylian beside her. He is drowning. "Oh, right. I forgot humans can't breath underwater... _Bah!_ Here..!"

She pulls Link up to the water's surface for air. He coughs up and takes a much-needed breath. "Ack..! _*glub!*_ I_ _*cough!*_ I can't swim..!" he gasps.

"You mean not at all?" asks Ruto with a scoff. Link shakes his head in answer. "Fine..." sighs the reluctant Zora. "Just hold on to me and I'll get you to land... But watch where you're putting your hands! Touch me wrong even _once_ and you're swimming solo!"

Link nods in understanding (not that he would have even considered touching her inappropriately in the first place) and hangs on to her back.

"Wait..!" gurgles Junior, struggling to keep up. "I can't swim very well with a broken arm!"

"I'll be back for you in a minute," says Ruto; "Just as soon as I get _Mr No-gills_ here off my back."

* * *

Back upon the surface, Huntress is infuriated. "Fools!" she snarls at her three remaining underlings. "Did I not train you to be flawless killers?! How is it that half of you should fall in your first field test?!"

The Wolfos crouch in shame. The two onlooking Wizzrobes begin to laugh at their failure;

"Bwa ha ha ha! What a failure! Looks like the _'greatest tracker of the Devastati'_ Huntress isn't all that she's cracked up to be after all!"

"It appears your prey was just out of your league today!" taunts the other. "But don't worry; we Wizzrobes can take it from here. Your Wolfos pack can't follow those escapees down there like we can...but even if they could; they obviously lack the competence for this simple task anyway!"

Huntress will not abide such insults.

With an angered snarl, she turns and throws her Blizzard Spear like a javelin straight through one Wizzrobe and into the next; impaling them both in one throw.

 _*Skewer! Skewer!*_

The insolent wizards dismembered, Huntress turns to her remaining pack. "This hunt isn't over! Find out where the underground waterways lead to. When they reach the exit..." She pauses briefly to summon her Blizzard Spear back into her paw before authoritatively continuing; " _We'll_ be there to meet them!"

Her underlings nod and bark in understanding (they are not as experienced in speech as their Alpha is). All are eager to exact revenge on the prey that eluded them.

...None notice as the three colored wisps appear behind them. The mysterious flames subtly proceed to absorb Link's dropped bow and sword off the ground.

"But this time, I will not be instructing you..." Huntress continues; "I will be _hunting!"_

Meanwhile, an overhanging Ache witnesses from afar.

With a smirk on its face, it takes off to report what it has found of the Zoras' whereabouts. _Lord Bloodvore will surely want to hear this._

* * *

Within the dark of the underground waterways, Ruto swims towards the stone pavement with Link clinging to her back. "There. Now just wait here while I go back and get my brother," she says upon setting him ashore. "Yell if you happen to see any threat."

Link takes a deep breath of relief as he seats himself down on safe ground. "Thanks for saving me back there..." he says to Ruto before she sets off again.

" _Hmph._ Don't mention it..." she says somewhat indignantly. "More importantly; don't make me have to do it again! There's no point keeping you if you're going to be more burden than use!"

Ruto momentarily swims away, taking with her the light from her Rod of Jabuni. Link is left shivering wet in the pitch-black underground as he awaits the Zoras' return. Unarmed, exhausted, and heavily wounded, he will have to rely solely on Ruto to defeat by herself whatever enemy they encounter next so he can collect its weapon in replacement of the ones he just lost.

Though she may have treated him coldly, Link truly is grateful towards this Zora princess for coming to his rescue. Sure, he has already saved her more than once himself, but he never expected her to go out of her way to do the same for him. Being currently driven from his own homeland with nowhere to go, his life is worth next to nothing at this point whereas she still has an entire future as the heir to the throne of Zora's Domain at stake.

And yet she risked all that and threw herself in grave danger just to save him from certain death.

The more he looks over the scenario, the more obvious it is that she would have been much better off leaving him behind to save herself at that moment. She was already right next to the well with a secure escape. Turning back to rescue him from the Wolfos' clutches was never required of her and was only risking more than there was to redeem. The odds of making it back out alive after retrieving him were not even in her favor.

Yet that stopped her not. For as condescending as she may be, she is an ally who can still be counted on to watch his back just as he has been doing for her. Link finds himself with a newfound respect for Ruto in spite of her cold attitude towards him.

"(Heh... I doubt any of the guys I trained with would have ever considered doing anything like that for me...not even on official order!)" he thinks to himself with slight mirth. The thought of his fellow recruits quickly worries him, however. "(I hope they're all okay... I don't think the Devastati will be very tolerant towards the lives of any trained swordsmen not their own...)"

Ruto soon resurfaces with Junior in her company. After receiving a potion to restore his own energy, the little one proceeds to heal the others of their recent wounds.

Although normally not one to initiate conversation, a question lingers on Link's mind that he just has to ask. "Um, excuse me, Princess..." he says to Ruto as she is being healed. "If I may ask; how were you able to break free from that ice so fast? You were frozen solid."

"Easy. These gemstones aren't just for fashion alone, you know!" says the Zora princess with a smirk, pointing out the jewels adorning her attire. "Every one of these rubies and sapphires is imbued with the power of fire and ice respectively, which boosts my resistance against the opposing element. I especially chose to use rubies in my custom-made ornaments to protect me against ice, making me nearly unfreezable!"

"She's always hated the cold..." Junior casually adds as he finishes healing his sister and moves on to Link.

"Hey, can you blame me?" says Ruto. "Being cold _stinks!"_

Link nods in comprehension. _So that's how she thawed so fast..._

"But that reminds me..." says Ruto in thought; "Did anyone else see those weird wisps back there?"

"I did," answers Link, thinking back with wonder.

"I saw them in at least three different colours," says Ruto. "At first I thought the Wolfos were causing them, but they actually seemed to be getting in their way more than anything... What the halibut were they?!"

"Uh..." says Zora Jr, looking off behind them with widened eyes as he finishes healing Link. "Did they look...like _those.._?"

Ruto and Link jolt to their feet in surprise.

Shining through the darkness, the wisps approach...

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I didn't plan on ending this chapter right here, but it was getting way too long and so I had to split it into two. I'll try to get the next one out soon.**


	68. 7-8 Tricela

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 7: Escape From Castle Town_

 **Chapter 8** **  
** _Tricela_

Three mystical wisps -colored red, green, and blue, respectively- float silently in the air. They dance around in a circular motion, swirling slowly and gracefully in perfect sync with one another as they draw nearer.

"What the halibut?!" exclaims an alarmed Ruto. "Don't tell me those things _followed_ us!"

"What are they?!" asks Junior, hiding behind her.

"I don't know!" answers she, scanning the phenomenon with the Scroll of Insight. "The scroll doesn't even recognize it! It must be some kind of sorcery!"

A feminine voice speaks out; _"Be not afraid, dear children..."_ A golden light appears in the center of the formation of wisps, taking shape of a strange figure. _"We are not the enemy."_

"HOLY MACKEREL!" shrieks Ruto, nearly falling over in shock at the sudden sight of the being that formed. "WHAT THE HALIBUT _IS_ THAT THING!?"

The mysterious apparition is a figure unlike anything ever seen. She is roughly about two feet in length and has three points upon her head that the three colored wisps orbit above like a halo. Though her whole being is composed entirely of light, she casts no reflection on the waters beneath her. Her appearance seems to resemble one wearing a cloak with no body underneath it, as if the 'cloak' itself _is_ her torso. The said 'cloak' is shaped as if conformed around her shoulders despite no shoulders existing. Upon her chest is a crest made up of three conjoined triangles in the place of a 'broach'. Her countenance is as serene as the full moon on a clear night.

Equally remarkable as her strange appearance is her voice; it is a voice monotonous yet serene, filled with an angelic gentleness that calms the soul, and curiously sounds like three separate voices speaking in unison.

" _There is no need for alarm, O Daughter of Zora..."_ says the mysterious being. _"We are here as your benefactor."_

Link is awestruck by the apparition. He stands agape, too stunned to speak.

Ruto is far less fascinated and more alarmed at the encounter. Not daring to show any fear, she points her bladed rod at the unknown being. "Who_?! No... _WHAT_ are you?!" she authoritatively inquires.

While hiding behind Link as a human shield.

" _We are a TriSpirit..."_ answers the apparition. _"You may call us 'Tricela'."_

"What do you mean ' _we'?!_ Are there _more_ of you around here..?!" asks a paranoid Ruto, frantically darting her eyes around the surrounding area for further paranormal activity.

...All while practically choking Link as she grips her arm tighter and tighter around her human-shield's neck in panic.

 _"Please calm yourself, Princess..."_ says Tricela gently. _"Your companion is in need of oxygen..."_

"Huh?" Ruto looks to Link.

His face is now almost as blue as her own due to how tightly she has been holding on to him for defense in her panic.

 _Oops..._

The young Hylian quickly gasps for air upon being released at last. _That Zora is surprisingly strong for her size!_

Tricela floats in closer to address him. _"Master Link..."_ she says to him, surprising him and the Zoras even further by already knowing his name. _"We believe these belong to you..."_

The three wisps orbiting her head fly closer to Link. A pair of familiar items materialize from them, forming in his hands.

The baffled Hylian can hardly believe his eyes. "Are these... _my_ weapons..?!"

 _"Indeed they are,"_ Tricela answers. _"Although tools of bloodshed are not favored by our kind, we deemed these a necessary retrieval for your sake..."_

"Th...thank you..." says Link with heartfelt gratitude. "This means a great deal to me..."

 _"We sense they are of great sentimental value to you..."_ Tricela smiles to him. _"But more importantly; they will undoubtedly prove useful in your fight for survival against the Devastati... Keep them close...for mortality is a fragile thing and requires much protection."_

Ruto speaks up; "Alright, alright! Now that _that's_ out of the way, would you care to explain something to me?" says she, seizing Link by the collar. "Explain to me how the halibut you are apparently _acquainted_ with this creepy spirit-thing! What are you; part of some sort of occult that you haven't told us about?!"

"Huh? N-no..!" says Link. "This is the first time I've ever seen a spirit of any sort!"

"Then how does it already know your name?!" Ruto demands.

 _"Each of your names, dear children -indeed, all of your thoughts and memories- are not unknown to the heavens from whence we were sent..."_ Tricela explains. _"Not only do we know of your names, but we also know each of you better than you know yourselves... For we see into the very hearts of all mortals and recognize you by your own spirit. Nothing is a mystery to those of the light."_

"WHAT?! You mean you just help yourself to a peek into my private thoughts without my consent?!" says Ruto, feeling violated. "Wh-who do you think you are to be invading my mind like that?! What are you; some kind of _demon?!_ Leave my sight at once, you vile creature!"

Zora Jr takes hold of Ruto's hand, quite unsure what to make of the situation himself but still keeping far calmer than his older sister. "Wait... She said she came from the heavens," says the little one. "That means she's something more like an angel, right?"

"And why should we believe this...floating...head-thingy?!" says Ruto. "For all we know, this creep could be just another monster!"

 _"We assure you, dear children, that we are not akin to any monstrosity..."_ Tricela answers gently. _"But we must advise you to quiet your voice, for many monsters are indeed on the prowl for those who would resist the Devastati...as you yourselves have done. Already, some have settled in these very waterways and teem amok..."_

The party falls silent at these words. The three look around warily, listening for any sound of movement within the tunnels.

Deeming it safe enough to resume speaking, Ruto turns to address Tricela once more (albeit more quietly now); "So... _what_ did you say you were, again..?"

 _"We are a TriSpirit,"_ Tricela answers; _"...And servant of The Light."_

"A _'TriSpirit'._.?" says Ruto. "What in the world is a _'TriSpirit'?!_ Nothing I ever heard of!"

"What are those fireballs spinning around your head?" asks Junior.

Upon being asked these questions, Tricela surprises everyone even further by absorbing the three colored wisps that orbit her head into her body, which then breaks apart into three smaller versions of herself (minus the wisps). Each is a different color to match the respective wisps. Instead of a crest of three conjoined triangles upon their chests, they each bear only a single triangle that is marked with the crest of one of Hyrule's three golden goddesses;

The red Tricela bears the crest of Din: the goddess of power; the blue one bears the crest of Nayru: goddess of wisdom; and the green; Farore: goddess of courage.

The three take turns speaking, finishing the sentences of one another as one mind. Although Tricela's voice sounded like three different voices speaking at once while she was one, but divided, the three distinct voices speak individually. Their words are as follow;

Red: _"Three souls born from the three goddess flames..."_

Blue: _"Existing in union as one entity..."_

Green: _"The voices of Wisdom, of Power, and of Courage, manifested into a living being..."_

The three parts of Tricela then reunite into a single being again, with the three wisps circling her head once more.

" _The three 'fireballs', as you say, that you see above us are our souls..."_ She explains. _"One born from each goddess flame. We are three, though we are one; inseparable, and incapable of existing without the others..."_

"Yeesh! There's _three_ of you?!" exclaims Ruto, jolting back in alarm. "That's just creepy!"

"So _that's_ why you keep referring to yourself as _'we'?"_ says Junior, growing fairly fascinated. "And you are some kind of servant of the goddesses..?"

 _"Correct..."_ Tricela confirms. "When _the Devastati had attacked Hyrule Castle, Princess Zelda had called upon the heavens for deliverance...and so we were summoned into this world by the goddesses in answer to her prayer, tasked to seek out those who possess the necessary courage... Courage to face the darkness that is befalling this corporal world you inhabit."_

"The goddesses..? _Riiiiiight,_ " says a skeptical Ruto with suspicion. Eager to depart at once from this unfamiliar being's presence, she grabs hold of her two companions and hastily begins to pull them along. "Well, thanks for the info, _Miss Three-in-One-Creepy-Spirit-Thing..._ as well as for the nightmares that this freak-encounter will surely bring me in the near future... Oh yes, and I suppose for returning our klutzy escort's dropped weapons to him -which is probably the one _good_ thing that came out of all this- but we really must be going now, so I believe this is goodbye. Good luck with...whatever you just said you were doing...and don't bother trying to follow us!"

"But wait..!" says Junior as he is dragged ahead. "Maybe she can help us some more..?"

"Quiet..!" hushes Ruto. "Just keep moving and don't_ _YIKES!"  
_

The Zora princess nearly falls on her backside in startle as Tricela suddenly appears in front of her again. _"Our time with you is far from over, dear child..."_ says the TriSpirit. _"The path ahead is more perilous than you know... It is our sacred duty...to accompany and guide you through the trials you soon shall face."_

"I am quite certain we will be able to handle ourselves _without_ your interference!" insists Ruto, pressing past this meddling spirit with a huff.

 _"Bear in mind, children, that your presence in these waterways is not unknown to your enemies..."_ says Tricela. _"As we speak, the monsters you have eluded are in the process of calculating where you are to surface..."_

"All the more reason for you to shut up and let us get moving!" snaps Ruto, undeterred.

 _"You are also departing in the wrong direction..."_

"I don't care! I_ Wait... What?"

Junior is not surprised. "Sounds typical..."

 _"We mean you no disrespect, Princess Ruto..."_ says Tricela. _"But you must understand that the path you take is still very foreign to you... and if you should fail to find your way swiftly enough to elude your pursuers...an ambush will inevitably await you at the surface... Please...allow us to accompany you. We can guide you hastily to the exit. With luck...perhaps you may even be able to escape before the enemy can locate you..."_

"Oh..?" says Ruto with suspicion. "And how do I know _you're_ not just going to lead us straight into an ambush yourself?!"

 _"We are your benefactor; a servant of the goddesses..."_ says Tricela. _"Our duty is to protect you."_

"So you _say.._!" scoffs Ruto. "But why should I believe it?! What makes you think I'm just going to blindly trust you?!"

"I...trust her..." says the shy Hylian behind her.

Ruto turns to face Link, slightly surprised to hear him speak so suddenly. Aside from the brief moment where he replied after being personally addressed, he had spoken not a single word throughout this entire conversation. She had nearly forgotten he was even there. "...Who asked you?!" she says to him after a brief pause.

"Well...she did just help us, didn't she..?" says Link. "She wouldn't have done that if she wasn't on our side... So, really; why should we suspect ill of her?"

"I agree," says Junior. "We need all the help we can get! ...Especially with _you_ being in charge."

"What did you say?!" snaps Ruto in offense.

"Uh, I mean... W-we are already in a pretty tight bind right now..." Junior stammers nervously, regretting saying that last remark aloud. "So...um...what do we have to lose?!"

Ruto grits her teeth in annoyance. She is not at all fond of keeping such unnatural company as this so-called 'TriSpirit', and the _last_ thing she wants to do is have to admit that her irritating companions are right.

But she cannot deny it.

"She could be our best shot at getting out of here alive..." says Link. "The least we can do is give her a chance..."

With a reluctant sigh, Ruto yields at last. "Fine... Lead the way... _TriSpirit_ ," she says begrudgingly. "...But you are only taking us _straight_ to the exit, and as soon as we get out of here; you leave us alone! Is that clear?!"

 _"You have such little faith in the goddesses' providence..."_ says Tricela. _"You are not yet ready for the full power we can bestow upon you...but we shall do as you propose... for now... Follow our lead. Already, time runs short..."_

The TriSpirit flies ahead, leading the party down the quickest path to the exit. Link and Zora Jr follow her with trust, relieved to know they have a servant of the very goddesses themselves guiding their path so they cannot go wrong.

Ruto follows only reluctantly. It was bad enough that she has to rely on the aid of a human, but a _spirit_ is only all the more disturbing to her. She still is not convinced that this Tricela could really be a servant of the goddesses; she is not even convinced the said goddesses really exist!

But there is one thing about this so-called 'TriSpirit' that she _is_ convinced of;

 _She cannot be trusted..._

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! And I deeply apologize for how long it took to get this chapter ready. I just wasn't satisfied with how it was shaping up and had reworked it several times. I still feel like it turned out rather dull, but at least it's finally done.**

 **Anyway, now the eponymous 'TriSpirit' has finally been identified! She is kind of like the "Navi"or "Fi" of this story.** **In the original edition of this fanfic, it wasn't until awhile _after_ the party had escaped Castle Town that Tricela revealed herself to them, but I decided to introduce her to the group earlier this time to pick up the pace and keep things from dragging on later (like they unfortunately ended up doing last time).**


	69. 7-9 A Break to Freedom?

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 7: Escape From Castle Town_

 **Chapter 9** **  
** _A Break to Freedom?_

A stone wall... Waters flowing through the bars of a locked floodgate... Crickets chirping in the night...

 _That is all there is out here. Nothing more._

A lone Darknut stands guard beside the floodgate outside of Castle Town, bored out of its hollow mind. It has been stationed to watch for any suspicious activity where the river flows into the town's underground waterways, lest anyone should try to break in or out to create an escape route.

A dull task that the diabolic knight wonders how in the world it had the misfortune of being picked for.

The moon shines brightly over the fields of Hyrule; its reflection gleaming serenely in the winding river below. A gentle breeze blows pleasantly through, rustling the grasses of the fields and the leaves of the trees. The choirs of crickets singing in the distance and the soothing splashes of water calmly flowing nearby are the only sounds to be heard throughout the silence of the night. Such peaceful ambiance is soothing to the soul.

But to a monster born of sheer malice who possesses no such soul, it is nothing more than a source of irritation. The Darknut is disgusted with the boring tranquility and desires to abandon its sentry post to rejoin its fellow monsters in the excitement of pillaging Castle Town.

Its gaze fixed on the walls of town, the diabolic knight fantasizes about all the violence and torture it could be executing upon the denizens right now if not for its dull sentry duty: beating innocents on the head while herding them like cattle; raiding houses for anything of value to take from the owners against their wishes; skinning alive any who dare to resist and sneering in satisfaction at the horrified looks on the faces of their loved ones forced to watch...

 _Oh, why must the torture of sentry duty take priority over all the bliss that could be happening right now?!_

The frustrated Darknut curses its luck. It has been stationed out here for over an hour now and will not be released from this boring place for several uneventful hours more. It longs to see some action.

 _...Wait! What was that noise?_

The armored fiend turns its gaze to the barred gate it guards. It could have sworn it just heard something. Listening closely, the Darknut hears again what sounds like voices echoing from deep within the underground waterways. _Is someone in there?_

The diabolic knight stares through the door in the gate. Glowing amiss in the darkness, a strange pattern appears on the ground. It appears to be some sort of glyph.

Confused and alarmed, the Darknut decides to investigate. It unlocks the barred door with the key on its belt and enters the underground, locking the door again behind itself afterward. Drawing its weapon in caution, the fiend warily approaches this mysterious phenomenon. _Perhaps something interesting just might happen here after all!_

The stone wall to its left, the water canal to its right; the Darknut carefully treads the narrow walkway towards the glowing pattern on the ground. Leaning in for a closer look, it sees that the glyph bears the crest of the Zora in the center.

 _But what is this weird glyph? And why would it suddenly appear here in Castle Town where there is not a Zora around for miles?_

Suddenly the glyph moves beneath the Darknut's left foot. " _Hydros!"_ calls a nearby voice.

 _*Sploosh!*_

Before the armored hellion can react, a column of water gushes up from the glyph, lifting the Darknut from its footing from the left and causing it to topple over to the right.

And into the canal!

 _*Splash!*_

Weighed down by its heavy armor, the Darknut cannot even hope to swim. Its breath fading by the second as water fills its lungs; its murderous life flashing before its eyes; the fiend's regrets over being selected for sentry are now stronger than ever before at this unexpected turn of events.

 _Not fair! Death should only happen to other people!_

As the Darknut struggles frantically to recover its footing in desperate hope to somehow get back to land, a Zora princess dives in after and pins the drowning fiend to the floor until its breath is gone.

For good.

 _*Glub..! glub..! glub...*_

Her foe deceased, Princess Ruto collects the key from the drowned Darknut's emptied armor as its body breaks away and disintegrates into darkness. "Ha! That was too easy!" she says in triumph upon surfacing. "Alright, I got the key! Now let's get out of here!"

Link and Zora Jr step out of the darkness, meeting Ruto as she returns to the land. Tricela is in their company.

Junior looks to the shed armor left behind by the fallen Darknut. "So do we still need to meet with that Goron tomorrow to get armour from him?" asks he. "Can't you just use that armour from the dead Darknut?"

"It's not built for a Zora and also just plainly too big to fit any of us," says Ruto. "Besides, what we're getting is supposed to be better...and I already paid for this claim-check with Mother's own bracelet; I _AM_ going to use it!"

 _"It would be wise to refrain from collecting any spoils from Devastati forces, children..."_ Tricela warns. _"We sense a malefic aura emitting from their weapons and armor... They are cursed."_

"Cursed..?" says Junior. He and Link look warily to the sunken arms from the deceased Darknut in the canal.

 _"Yes..."_ answers Tricela. _"They are each sealed with dark-magic that slowly drains the life-force of whoever wields them without bearing the Devastati's emblem of membership... To use them yourselves would be to endanger your lives."_

This is good to know. Link is now more grateful than ever that Tricela had kindly retrieved his own weapons for him when he had dropped them earlier. He would have blindly collected the weapons left by this fallen Darknut to rearm himself with if not for her assistance.

Still, this raises another question... "So... does this apply to their arrows?" he asks her. "Most of these in my quiver were collected from fallen Devastati archers..."

 _"The Devastati's magic is powerful, but still limited..."_ says Tricela. _"They are conservative enough to refrain from wasting it on such dispensable items as arrows. Furthermore...even if an arrow should be cursed, it cannot harm you from within your quiver... And the amount of time one remains in your hand as you ready it on your bowstring is much too brief for the dark-magic to take effect... You may use projectiles safely."_

Link heaves a sigh of relief. To go without arrows would make this journey much more difficult.

Ruto, however, rolls her eyes at the way her companions are so quick to trust this suspicious spirit without question. She gives no comment and just proceeds to unlock the barred door with the key collected from the Darknut.

Tricela turns towards her. _"That key you hold, however, is also cursed with the Devastati's maleficence..._ _You must discard it quickly after use."_

Ruto pauses briefly with concern. She will not be taking this 'TriSpirit' at its word anytime soon, but she does not wish to run any unnecessary risks either. "Well, I'm done using it now, so I never intended to keep it in the first place," she says in a somewhat condescending tone to conceal her fluster as she quickly lets the key fall to the ground upon opening the door. "We shall take your _'wise words'_ with a grain of salt. Now if you'll excuse us, I believe this is where we part ways. Feel free to depart from our presence anytime. ...Like, maybe _now,_ for instance?"

"Hey! That was rude," Junior scolds. "She's been a great help to us!"

Link shakes his head at the Zora princess and turns to thank Tricela properly; "Thank you very much for all you've done for us... We wouldn't have found our way out nearly so fast on our own."

"Especially not with my sister in charge," adds Junior. "She's always had a terrible sense of direction."

"I can hear you, you know..!" huffs Ruto by the door.

 _"Do not assume you have escaped danger so soon, dear children..."_ warns Tricela. _"We sense the presence of a powerful foe fast approaching... One whose might is beyond any of you."_

"What?!" Link and Junior both say in alarm.

 _"As you are now, your odds of overcoming this menace are far from your favor... "_ says Tricela. _"Please...allow us to be joined with you... Alone, you are weak...but together, you can be made strong. Accept our blessing... We can combine your current power...and make it one. But only if each of you are willing to accept us as part of you..."_

"Oh, no you don't!" Ruto protests before her allies can speak. "The deal was that you lead us out of that labyrinth and then immediately leave my sight! Don't think you can manipulate me into letting you stick around longer, you freak!"

"Ruto..?" says Junior, unsure why his sister is still being so mistrusting.

"I don't know _what_ you're planning in that little floating head of yours, but I am _NOT_ having any part in it!" Ruto continues. "You've served your purpose, we don't need to put up with you any longer, so be gone! ...NOW!"

 _"Princess... This is no time for obstinacy..."_ says Tricela. _"The enemy is near... You are in greater danger than you realize."_

"The only enemy I see out here is _YOU!"_ snaps Ruto. "Just because you helped us get out of that tunnel doesn't mean I'm just going to blindly trust you like my simpleton companions here! I don't know _what_ you are or where your alliance lies, but I _do_ know that you've been outright _lying_ this entire time, and I'm _not_ falling for whatever you're trying to pull!"

"Ruto... she just _helped_ us," says Junior. "She's not the enemy."

"That just goes to show how _gullible_ you are!" Ruto vehemently protests. "She may not be with the Devastati...but she's still a monster in disguise! ... _Hydros!"_

 _*Sploosh!*_

"Tricela..!" Link and Junior cry out in alarm as a column of water engulfs the TriSpirit before them.

"You'll thank me for this later!" says Ruto, taking off ahead. "Now come on! Lets get out of here before_ !"

 _*Bzzam!*_

A sphere of dark energy is projected suddenly from above.

Knocking Ruto off her feet!

"Ha ha! What's this? Leaving town so soon, Princess?" taunts a familiar voice. "Then I'm glad I made it in time to see you off before you depart...to the afterlife!"

 _Lord Bloodvore..!_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! We are now entering the final battle of this episode. Things are playing out much differently this time than how they did back in the original edition of this story.**


	70. 7-10 Ambushed

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 7: Escape From Castle Town_

 **Chapter 10** **  
** _Ambushed_

 _So close..._

They were so close to escaping the Devastati's grasp and fleeing the confines of Castle Town in one piece.

But it appears now that it was all for naught...

Knocked off her feet, Ruto quickly rolls to the side to narrowly avoid the next incoming blow as her assassin lunges forward to run her through while she is down. Bloodvore's Batwing Scimitars collide with the ground.

 _*Clang!*_

In a countering motion, she sweeps at the Acheman Champion's legs with her bladed rod as she regains her footing.

 _*Swipe!*_

But Bloodvore leaps back and evades with ease.

Link is shaken. Tricela, their newest ally, has seemingly vanished upon being doused by Princess Ruto's Hydros attack. He knows not what has become of the benevolent TriSpirit, but he has not a second to ponder. "Get underwater..!" he says to Prince Zora Jr as he draws his bow.

Though frightened and shaken himself, Junior does as commanded without question and throws himself into the canal. It can offer very little safety, but at least he is momentarily off the battlefield.

Link lets fly an arrow aimed at the Acheman Champion's head. Bloodvore foresees the attack and evades the projectile by vanishing.

 _*Poof!*_

"I thought we eluded you!" says a bewildered Ruto to their foe. "How many times must I fend off the same, stupid Acheman?!"

"There's no permanently eluding _ME;_ the great Lord Bloodvore!" hisses the fiend as he reappears and spews a fireball.

 _*Fwoom!*_

Ruto and Link leap aside to evade the incoming projectile. Having his prey right where he wants them with no escape, Bloodvore is in no rush to end the fight immediately. He alternates between throwing his scimitars at his victims and projecting more dark spheres towards them while repeatedly vanishing and reappearing out of reach to toy with them. Prolonging the fear and frustration of his victims has always been his preference before actually going for the kill.

And he wants the torment of these particular victims to prolong as much as possible.

"I'm sure you think you're _soooo_ clever the way you led an attack on our encampment and crushed my worthless minions while my back was turned instead of arriving at the central square of town like you were supposed to!" he comments between attacks. "Even after I went through all the trouble of preparing the perfect ambush just for you! What's the matter; don't they teach princesses proper courtesy anymore? You should know better than to skip out on a rendezvous without giving official notice first!"

"I _knew_ we shouldn't have followed that freaky spirit-thing!" says the enraged Zora princess as she and Link struggling to evade the Acheman's erratic attacks. "It only led us straight into an ambush just like I thought it would!"

" _'Spirit-thing'?_ I don't know what the heck you're talking about, and frankly; I don't care!" says Bloodvore, still treating the fight quite lightly to irritate his unworthy opponents. "Perhaps I toyed too long with you annoying brats before, but I won't be so lax as to let you slip away again _this_ time! Now that I have you where I want you, you're in for a heap of torture after all the trouble you've caused me!"

Link and Ruto say nothing in response to his remarks.

They are far too busy dodging his attacks while struggling in vain to land one of their own against this evasive foe to be bothered to talk back at the moment. This Acheman's ability to take on two opponents at once so effortlessly that he can even find the time to casually converse with them in the middle of a heated fight is beyond belief.

Ruto soon takes a blow in a failed attempt to land one of her own.

 _*Wham!*_

She grunts in pain as she is knocked to the ground in a brief instant of vulnerability. Link reacts quickly and intercepts the following blow with his shield before Bloodvore can deliver it, granting Ruto the split-second she needs to get back to her feet.

 _*Clang!*_

"That reminds me..." says Bloodvore to Link as the fight resumes; "My sources claim that it was actually _you,_ of all people, who found out our little hiding place in the castle's dungeons, forcing us to have to relocate to a smaller encampment out in the woods before the raid today..? Surely there must be some mistake. I may tend to get stuck with some pretty worthless minions, but even _they_ should have been more than capable of keeping such a laughable runt like _you_ from getting out of there with his life!"

Link says nothing but stays focused on the fight; repeated trying and failing again to land a blow on this menace only to swipe at thin air each time.

Ruto, however, has grown far too flustered to not yell out anymore. "Just shut up and hold still so we can kill you already, you arrogant blatherskite!" she hollers in annoyance as she struggles in vain to land a blow. "I'm fed up with this nonsense!"

Bloodvore sneers. "You're right. This pitiful cat-and-mouse game _is_ starting to grow rather dull... Perhaps I should speed things up a notch?" He swiftly flies upwards to ready his first serious attack.

His Batwing Scimitars raised above his head, a sphere of dark energy much larger than any he has projected thus far is generated between them. The Acheman prepares to bring it down upon his targets below, ready to knock them both out cold in a single blast.

"Taste my wrath, you worthless little_! _Gah!_ What th_?!"

 _*Whoosh!*_

Bloodvore is startled as three colored wisps appear from nowhere and zip in front of his face, distracting him in a jolt so that he misdirects his enormous projectile. The dark sphere misses its targets and collides with the earth. A crater is left in the ground.

 _*BZZAM!*_

Link recognizes the interfering wisps immediately, as does Ruto. Mixed feelings of relief and guilt wash over the latter at the sight of the unharmed TriSpirit she misjudged still fighting by their side even after she had attacked her in hasty accusation.

But there is not a second to waste. Taking advantage of this brief opening, Link runs in closer for a better range and fires an arrow at the distracted Acheman Champion's wing.

 _*Thwack!*_

Screeching in pain, Bloodvore falls out of the air. He lands headfirst into the nearby water.

 _*Splash!*_

The Hylian turns toward Princess Ruto with a quick nod. Recognizing her cue, the latter swiftly plunges in after their foe. As a Zora, she should have the upper-hand over the Acheman in the water. "Time to end this..!" comes her battle cry.

Bloodvore will not allow himself to be so easily bested. "I'm just getting started!" he hisses as he quickly shapeshifts to mimic her form once again.

"Junior!" calls Ruto to her brother underwater; "Keep your distance!"

With Rod of Jabuni and Batwing Scimitars respectively in hand, the Zora princess and her impostor engage head on in an aquatic battle.

Although Ruto is far more adapt to fighting in her own body than this fake Zora could be, Bloodvore is still armed with a plethora of dark-magic that is more than enough to compensate for being less experienced at battling underwater than his opponent. They are evenly matched under these circumstances.

Tricela's wisps descend into the water. They attempt again to interfere with Bloodvore's focus to grant Ruto another opening to attack.

Weapons clash beneath the water. The two dart around like torpedoes.

Standing ashore with his bow, Link hopes to aid the real Zora princess by shooting the fake one from the land above. The vastly different choices of weapons they each use should make distinguishing the two lookalikes simple enough.

But they are moving too fast to follow.

Furthermore, the darkness of the night reduces visibility quite significantly. The Hylian grits his teeth. He cannot get a good enough look to tell which 'Zora' he is aiming at beneath the splashing waters at this rate. Firing now would be too great a risk of shooting the real Ruto by mistake.

After several seconds of the underwater duel, a dark sphere projected from the fake Zora princess hits the real one. She cries out as a deadly surge of pain courses violently through her body.

 _*Bzzam!*_

Before Link can react and hit their foe with an arrow, Bloodvore swiftly dives down, pushing past Tricela's wisps, and raises up behind Ruto. His cursed fangs quickly sink into her back.

Turning her to stone.

 _No..!_

Link beholds from upon the share with horror as the petrified corpse of the Zora he had sworn to defend sinks before his eyes. Junior likewise stares agape, too scared to utter a sound, as he watches his sister hit the floor as a lifeless statue. _This can't be happening..!_

The false Ruto emerges triumphantly from the water, landing a distance from Link. "Grah ha ha! Oh, that was pitiful!" Bloodvore cackles with twisted glee, blood still dripping from his fangs, as he stands ashore in the now-perfected shape of the fallen Zora princess. "That Zora brat had some potential but was too stupid to fulfill it! She didn't even have the brains to see how obviously out of her league she was in fighting me! What a loser!"

Link is as enraged as he is frightened. He failed to protect Princess Ruto and is now confronted alone with a foe far beyond his league. Surely he stands not a chance of overcoming this unbearably powerful enemy single-handed.

But he has no choice but to fight. He is Prince Zora Jr's sole hope for survival now.

The Hylian readies his sword and shield. He rushes upon the false Zora princess with his blade. "Hyeeah!"

 _*Swipe!*_

But Bloodvore vanishes from his sight just before his sword could reach. "Oh, what's that?" taunts the fiend as he reappears behind him. "You're still trying to defeat me? All by yourself? Ha! You really are as stupid as you look, aren't you?!"

Link ignores the Acheman's taunts and continues trying to land a blow upon this Zora impostor. "Hyeeah..!"

_Only for Bloodvore to continue to calmly vanish each time and reappear again a short distance away to taunt him. _This is getting nowhere..._

Tricela's wisps try again to get in the Acheman Champion's way to distract him. "Again with the weird wisps?" says Bloodvore with a smirk. "I don't know what those are or where you learned to do that, but I think I've figured out one thing about them by now; they can't even _harm_ me, can they?!"

 _"(We are sorry, child...)"_ Link hears Tricela's voice speak from within his own mind. _"(As a spirit, we are incapable of interfering physically in this fight... You must overcome this menace by your own power.)"_

Though he doubts his capability, the young Hylian remains determined to fight to the end even if it kills him. He rushes upon Bloodvore once again. "Hyeeah..!"

 _*Poof!*_

_Only to be eluded just the same.

This time, however, his enemy strikes back upon reappearing; spewing a fireball from his Zora mouth,

 _*Fwoom!*_

Link is singed from the back. He is knocked down from the blow and lands painfully on his face, inadvertently eating a mouthful of dirt.

"Grah hah hah! Not so tough without some big Goron or magic-wielding Zora watching your back, are you?!" laughs Bloodvore haughtily at the lone Hylian's helplessness. "The only reason I haven't bothered to run you through yet is because I find your pitiful struggle mildly amusing... I mean; what's the rush, anyway? You're obviously no threat to me, and that puny Zora prince down there can't get anywhere fast with that broken arm of his, so I might as well take some time to enjoy listening to your satisfying screams of agony before I end this, right? Nothing could possibly go wrong now to ruin my_!"

 _*Freeze!*_

Cut off in the middle of his words, the false Zora is encased in ice by a sudden projectile.

 _Well, THAT was unexpected..._

Hairy paws white as snow gracefully hit the ground as a mighty Wolfos Alpha lands between Link and the frozen Bloodvore from an incredible leap. Three lesser Wolfos armed and fierce are in her company.

She pays little mind to the Hylian behind her as her subjects quickly seize him. Her eyes remain fixed on the false Zora frozen before her.

"I have you now..." snarls Huntress in satisfaction at her easy capture; "Zora princess..!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Well... _this_ is certainly an awkward turn of events... Perhaps Bloodvore should learn to not maintain his disguise any longer then necessary before getting inadvertently targeted by his own allies. LOL**

 **However, Ruto has been turned to stone and Link has been captured... Quite the pleasant way to end this chapter, yes? :)**


	71. 7-11 Ambushed While Ambushed

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 7: Escape From Castle Town_

 **Chapter 11** **  
** _Ambushed While Ambushed_

The Wolfos Alpha smirks in contentment. Her very presence seems to bring a chilling wind sweeping suddenly through the night.

Looking exactly like the Zora princess she was summoned to eliminate is a frozen figure encased in a thick mass of solid ice. Huntress is almost disappointed with how quickly her task has been completed. She expected more of a fight after having lost half of her current pack-in-training to this foe's earlier resistance.

 _Those simpletons must not have heeded any of their training if they would fall so easily to such pushovers as this Zora and her scrawny human-bodyguard back there! Good riddance to them! Those dishonorable failures could only bring disgrace to the name of the Wolfos if they were truly that incompetent!_

Keeping focused on the matter at hand, Huntress raises her magical Blizzard Spear and casts a crystalline barrier around the frozen Zora for increased fortification. She wishes not to risk letting this slippery captive inexplicably break free from the ice again as before.

Her prey bound by both ice and magic, the Wolfos Alpha turns her gaze to the pathetic human in this Zora's company. The three lesser Wolfos hold him down with fangs and claws. His sword lies in the dirt several feet from his grasp.

Huntress eyes Link indignantly. She inspects the restrained Hylian with a sniff. A displeased snarl passes through her breath as she speaks; "You are not Lark..."

Link remains silent. He is completely defenseless.

The Alpha grips his scalp forcibly in her pawed hand, sinking her claws into his head. "Where is the traitor?!" she demands, snarling in the Hylian's face. "I was told he was in the Zora's company...but the only human I have seen with her is _you..._ WHERE IS HE?!"

"W-we parted ways with him awhile ago..!" Link confesses truthfully, shaking from both fear and pain. "I have no idea where he is now..."

Huntress scoffs in irritation but does not doubt this Hylian's words. She knows Lark is not one to stick with any allies for long, and she also would have seen or smelled him by now if he was still around. "Then what of the small Zora who was with you before?" she continues to interrogate. "Tell me now, and we _may_ consider being quicker about your death!"

Link hesitates what to say. Although he loathes to tell a lie, he would not think of revealing the young prince's location to these monsters if he can avoid it. "We...lost him..." he answers quietly.

"What did you say?!" snarls the Wolfos Champion angrily, her claws digging deeper into Link's scalp.

"I said; we lost him in the underground..!" the defenseless Hylian answers more audibly this time, pain and pressure intensifying on his skull. "He was swept away in the current and we ended up separated! We were just in the middle of discussing our options of what to do about this before you arrived and caught us..."

"Is that the truth..?!" Huntress demands, holding his head to face her.

Link nods slowly. This is one case where he is fully willing to make an exception against his usual code of honesty.

The Wolfos Alpha slams Link's face into the dirt in frustration. She is annoyed that she cannot capture all of her intended targets at once but decides she should at least bring the one she has into custody while she can. Ruto was the only one of these three whom she was specifically told to apprehend anyhow, and her minions should be more than capable of handling the rest from here.

She turns her attention to her three remaining underlings. "I give you one chance to redeem yourselves..." she says to them; "Search the waterways. Find the small one and bring him into custody. I will deliver the princess to Master Kazama myself. As for the Hylian... keep him bound, but do not kill him until the last Zora is found. And if what he has said proves to be a lie..."

 _*Chunk!*_

The Blizzard Spear is thrust into the ground right in front of Link's face as Huntress gives him a threatening look while still addressing her minions; "...Bring him back to me in one piece...so I can break him myself!"

The three lesser Wolfos bark in understanding. Their Alpha swings her spear to open a portal leading back to Kazama. She casts the frozen Zora through it before entering herself. Her eyes burning with a threatening glare, she faces her underlings with one final snarl before departing;

"Don't fail me again..."

Link watches as the Wolfos Champion disappears through the portal with 'Princess Ruto' in her clutches. He knows very well that it is actually none other than Lord Bloodvore she has taken captive while the real Ruto lies a lifeless statue at the bottom of the nearby river, but he cares not to correct his foes on that.

The voices of Tricela echo in his mind; _"(Well played, child... Abide just a moment longer...and be ready to counteract when we say.)"_

He knows not what she means exactly. He can only hope and trust she has some plan.

The sai and tomahawk-wielding Wolfos begin their search, following their noses to find the absent companion of the captured princess. The spear-wielder keeps Link pinned down with vicious aggression. It still begrudges him greatly for the arrows it had taken to the backside from his bow earlier and will make his restraint as painful as possible.

Junior lies still beneath the water. He dares not to make a sound as he holds his good hand in prayer over his sister's stone corpse, trying desperately and tearfully to revive her with his Healing Grace. He knows that doing so puts himself at great risk of being discovered, as the glow from his hand may easily draw the Wolfos warriors' attention to the water.

But that is a risk he must take.

Closing his fearful eyes in concentration, the little one prays all the more fervently to the goddess Nayru for the grace to revive his petrified sister. He is growing nauseous by the second as he pours unreservedly all his remaining power into her lifeless statue, but he continues nonetheless.

Slowly and slightly, Ruto's stone skin begins to change texture...

Meanwhile, as the sai and tomahawk-wielding Wolfos enter the gate leading to the underground waterways in search, the spear-wielder notices the blue glow radiating from the water. Its eyes are lured briefly away from the Hylian it restrains to look warily upon the suspicious light.

 _"(Now..!)"_ says the voices of Tricela from within Link's own mind.

_Just as her three colored wisps fly into the distracted beast's face, causing it to jolt back with a startled yelp.

Freed for but a brief second, Link immediately takes his cue to act. His sword suddenly returned to his hand again by Tricela's power, he springs up and strikes the spear-wielding Wolfos before the fiend even realizes what is happening.

 _*Slash!*_

The others alerted by the noise, they turn in surprise to see Link freed from their companion's clutches and finishing the said spear-wielder with a followup blow to the head.

 _*Stab!*_

Outraged, the two remaining Wolfos immediately charge forward to maul this Hylian before he can even pull his blade from their fallen comrade's carcass. Link barely has time to raise his shield in defense. The howling beasts are already upon him!

 _*Whoosh!*_

Tricela's wisps suddenly zip pass their faces, startling them mid-attack and disrupting their blows so Link can duck out of the way in time. Unlike Bloodvore, these Wolfos still have yet to deduce that the wisps are incapable of damaging them. Link pulls his sword from the deceased spear-wielder's skull and rolls away from the two living beasts to evade their next blows.

They bear their teeth and quickly surround him from both sides. Fighting two well-coordinated monsters at the same time will be no easy task for the young Hylian to do alone.

But fight them alone he must; disadvantageous or not.

...Or must he?

 _*Splash!*_

Just as the two Wolfos attempt to simultaneously maul their target from both sides, a Zoran glyph appears on the ground beneath his feet. " _Hydros!"_ calls the familiar voice of the newly-revived warrior princess emerging suddenly from the water to rejoin the fight.

 _*Sploosh!*_

Link and the attacking Wolfos alike are lifted into the air by a sudden column of water erupting from below. Ruto makes her landing from the river and looks to them with a countenance of determination, though it quickly shifts into a surprised grin. "Oh, cool! Lucky shot!" she exclaims upon seeing the Wolfos trapped in the torrent. "Not bad for just casting at random from underwater!"

Despite being trapped in the torrent with the Wolfos himself, Link is overjoyed to see Princess Ruto alive and animate once again. Although initially confused for a brief moment, he quickly deduces that it must have been the work of her brother's Healing Grace; a fact that kindles in him a sense of hope for the rest of Bloodvore's victims who have been turned to stone. _Perhaps even the royal family of Hyrule and the soldiers who fell trying to protect them can still be revived as well!_

Suddenly the water dies down. Link and the Wolfos all hit the ground with a painful thud. _If only these last-second Hydros attacks to save him from the monsters' grasp didn't have to always involve himself getting hit in the process!_

Ruto poises her rod to engage her foes. "Alright! Time to end th_ Wait..." she begins to say before noticing something amiss. "When did _these_ hairy freaks get here? And what happened to the other freak we were just fighting?"

Link quickly rolls away from the Wolfos and joins her side. "Now's not the time!" he hastily answers, keeping his blade pointed at the incoming foes.

"Oh, right!" says Ruto, regaining her focus. "Let's get them!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! The next chapter concludes this 7th episode.**


	72. 7-12 Gratitude

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 7: Escape From Castle Town_

 **Chapter 12** **  
** _Gratitude_

A pair of sai and tomahawks lie in the dirt. Their former owners have been reduced to a pair of Wolfos carcasses withering into darkness. A Zora and Hylian stand over the disintegrating remains in triumph, now catching their breath.

The battle has been won.

"Whew..! I'll admit..." says Ruto; "They were a tad tougher than they looked..."

Link silently agrees. A breath of relief that it is all over passes through his chapped lips. It has been a long day.

Despite them both being quite drained already from their fight against Lord Bloodvore, they were still able to defeat the pair of Wolfos with only little difficulty. The fiends were fairly formidable, even with most of their pack having been already annihilated, but they were much easier to handle fighting two-on-two this time instead of two-on-six as before.

Tricela did make the battle much more manageable, however, by once again disrupting the beasts' attacks by getting in their faces with her wisps and enabling Link and Ruto to land some free hits against the Wolfos while they were briefly blinded. Had it not been for her interference, victory might not have been a guarantee, given how much life-force the two warriors had already lost beforehand.

But now the battle is over. Tricela takes visible form again before the pair's eyes. _"You have fought well, children..."_ she says to them serenely. _"We are grateful...to see you unharmed after such an ordeal."_

Ruto looks to the TriSpirit uncomfortably. "Oh! Ah... You...uh... You're not upset about...um...you know..?" she asks nervously, recalling how she had just attacked Tricela mere minutes ago.

 _"Worry not, dear Ruto..."_ Tricela gently responds. _"It is not unusual for mortals to fear the unknown... We bear you no ill will...nor are you even capable of doing us harm."_

The Zora princess looks away, still unsure what to think of this 'TriSpirit' but not yet willing to trust it. "I should...get my brother out of the canal..." she quickly excuses herself.

As Ruto extends her whip to help pull her injured brother to land, Link looks to Tricela with much gratitude. "Thanks again for helping us," he says to her. "We would have died if it wasn't for you."

 _"It is our duty...and our pleasure,"_ she smiles tenderly to him, like a loving mother. _"Yet the_ _assistance we have provided thus far is only minuscule... There is much more we can do for you... We can lend you our true power...and show you the true extent of your own...but only if the three of you would willingly accept us..."_

She turns her gaze to Ruto as the latter sets Junior ashore.

 _"...ALL three of you."_

Link and Junior look to Ruto expectantly. They know what Tricela implies.

Ruto knows it too. She likes not the sound of it...

"W-well, that sounds useful and everything but I do not believe any further assistance will be necessary," she hastily responds before anyone proposes to let this unnatural being accompany them any further. "The worst is already behind us and there are surely many others amok who could use your help yet, so...I guess this is where we part ways now..!"

Her companions sigh but argue not. It is true that there are others in much greater need right now than themselves.

 _"So be it..."_ says Tricela. _"Take care on your journey, children... The Devastati's reach extends far beyond the wall of Castle Town..."_

"We'll be careful," says Ruto, eager to leave. "Now if you'll excuse us, we must really be going now..!"

"Thanks for helping us," says Zora Jr. "We are in your dept."

 _"Wait..."_ says Tricela. _"Let us bestow upon you...one last blessing..."_

Much to the amazement of all, a sudden glow begins to emit from the chests of Link and Junior. Two orbs of light are drawn forth from them by Tricela's power. They dance slowly in the air before merging into a solid shape. A strange crystal is formed.

"What in the halibut just happened?!" exclaims Ruto.

"What is that?" asks Junior, he and Link staring in awe upon the magnificent object.

 _"This, dear children...is a Gratitude Crystal..."_ Tricela explains. _"The genuine thankfulness you carry in your hearts... it has been concentrated into physical form. Keep it ever close, dear ones... It will one day awaken strength you never knew."_

"That's made from our gratitude?" Junior inquires. "But why did it only come from me and Link and not...Ruto..?" The answer slowly dawns on him as he speaks.

The Zora princess awkwardly avoids eye-contact with anyone. This moment is making her look bad. "...You do all realize we are but sitting ducks out here, right?" she says at last, wishing to drop the subject and leave the scene. "We really ought to get going now before we're found out again."

Junior sighs at his sister's behavior. _She really doesn't feel any gratitude, does she?_

"And about that crystal..." says Ruto, still not looking anyone in the eye. "You can just give that to the Hylian there. I suppose it is only fair that he should receive something in return for his work, after all."

Link is unfooled. He knows quite well that her real reason for suggesting this is not out of appreciation of him; it is because she simply wants nothing more to do with this disturbing 'TriSpirit' and this is merely a convenient way to be rid of this gift from her.

...As well as a way to avoid looking as ungrateful as she has been exposed to be.

Tricela, too, is well aware of this, though she is bothered not. _"So it shall be..."_ she compliantly replies.

The Gratitude Crystal is lowered into Link's hands. "Thank you again," he says to her upon accepting the crystal. "You've done a lot for us."

 _"We have done not nearly enough, dear one..."_ says Tricela. _"Our duty is far from over..."_

Link gives her a quizzical look. She merely smiles serenely and softly speaks some final words for only Link to hear;

 _"We shall soon meet again...Master Link."_

With that, she fades completely from sight. Link stares in puzzled silence at the empty air before soon turning his eyes to the crystal glowing faintly alight in his hands.

"Did...she just leave..?" asks Junior, somewhat awkwardly.

"I... _guess_ so..?" says Ruto, looking around with uncertainty. "Well anyway, if you're done admiring that new crystal of yours, perhaps you might like to...oh, I don't know...start _leading the way_ like the guide you're _supposed_ to be? The night's not getting any younger, you know!" she says to Link rather impatiently.

Junior shakes his head. _Why was he even surprised that she didn't contribute to the Gratitude Crystal's creation..?_

Pocketing the crystal, Link quickly complies and proceeds to lead the way through the night. The journey should be much easier now that they have escaped the walls of town.

As the three runaways make their way down the southern road, an invisible Tricela watches them leave from afar.

" _(Their potential is just as we predicted...)"_ she thinks to herself. _"(But they will still_ _require the aid of another... They stand not a chance as they are now...nor have their hearts undergone enough trails to prepare them for the greater ones that lie ahead...yet.)"_

The mysterious TriSpirit turns back to Castle Town. There remains matters yet for her to further observe here...

Not long down the road, as Link begins to take a drink of water from his canteen, a previous question arises once more from Ruto; "By the way; whatever did happen to Bloodvore while I was down?"

Much to her confusion, Link suddenly bursts out laughing at the recollection...

 _*Pffffttt..!*_

_Inadvertently spitting his water in her face.

* * *

Kazama stands within the entrance hall of the desecrated Temple of Time. His faithful triad of Arch Wizzrobes stand silently by his side. He glares with contempt to the two champion monsters before him, displeased by their embarrassingly unprofessional report of their attempt at apprehending a certain Zora princess.

"So tell me something..." says the wizard, an unamused scowl upon his face; "Tell me just how the hog's butt a pair of elite champions like _you_ could both make such idiotic fools of yourselves and botch up the same, simple task in the most moronic ways possible?!"

Huntress bows low, shamed and angered to have to take this humiliation. She mentally curses the insufferable Acheman whom she had mistakenly captured, believing it was the rebellious Zora princess they were both after, turning her presentation of what should have been yet another successful hunt into the most awkward and embarrassing moment of her entire life as she instead presented her masters with her fellow champion encased in ice.

The said Acheman Champion stands by the nearest torch. His hands and wings spread wide over the open flame, he is shivering madly trying to warm himself from having been frozen solid by the insolent Wolfos whose untimely meddling had inadvertently thwarted what should have been his guaranteed success.

The two Devastati Champions both immediately point to the other. "It was all _his/her_ fault for getting in the way!" they say simultaneously.

"Silence!" orders Kazama, not wanting to hear any more excuses. "You numskulls are supposed to be among the best of the Devastati's best! Yet I merely asked you to take candy from a baby and you can't do even _that_ right! I should be able to expect more from you!"

One of the nearby Darknuts standing guard grows confused to overhear this. "Wait... I don't remember him saying anything about stealing candy..." it whispers to its fellow guard. "I thought they were supposed to, like, capture some rebels or something?"

"That's an expression, you dolt..." corrects the other Darknut with a scoff.

Bloodvore speaks up; "I d-did take care of th-that pesky Zora princess, m-my lord..!" he says to Kazama, still shivering cold. "Sh-she's just a lifeless s-stature at the b-bottom of the r-river now..!"

"And my pack has her companions under control as we speak, Master!" Huntress quickly chimes in, making sure it is clear that she is no failure either. "The traitor was not with her...but I will send more Wolfos to join the hunt! He will not escape my wrath!"

" _Tsk!_ Whatever..." scoffs the wizard in contempt. "I have not the patience to deal with you now, so the sooner the both of you lunkheads leave my sight the better! Huntress! Do as you proposed and have your Wolfos snuff out any other rebels trying to resist or escape...but if you bring back another frozen ally instead, I'm changing your title from _'Wolfos Champion'_ to _'Kazama's New Floor-Rug'!_ You hear me?! Now get going, you mutt!"

Huntress nods in comprehension before taking off without another word to do her master's orders.

"As for _you,_ Blood-Breath..!" Kazama says to Bloodvore; "Since you're obviously no use to me in removing that blasted sword standing between me and the Devastati's success, perhaps it's time I send you off to secure some other towns while they're still in the dark yet...if you can even manage something as simple as that!"

"Understood, my lord..." says Bloodvore, slowly beginning to recover from his shivering. "Shall I begin with Zora's Domain? We may not have their princess on our side, but I can still manipulate them easily under the guise of her now that I've_"

"Oh, no you don't!" Kazama impatiently interrupts. "Given your recent success rate with Zoras, I have no doubt you'll just botch it up once again and we'll have their entire race rising against us! I'm sending you to secure the southern villages of Faron -far from Zora's Domain- while a more _competent_ agent deals with that miserable tribe of walking fishsticks that you seem to do nothing but fail against!"

Bloodvore is appalled by this accusation against his competence. "But, my lord! I only_!"

"No 'buts'!" says Kazama, unwilling to hear the Acheman's defensive protest. "You know I don't take kindly to failure! Now leave my sight and do as I have commanded at once! And if I hear even a single word that you went against my orders, it will be the last thing you do!"

Bloodvore gives a trembling bow before immediately changing into his Ache form and flying away with utmost haste. No monster dares to rouse Kazama's rage.

"I can't believe my lousy luck today!" the black-and-red Ache grumbles to himself as he flies through the night. "Dealing with worthless minions who can't do anything right and just get themselves slaughtered by some total _nobody._.! Being made a fool of by some idiot Zora brat who then goes on to elude me... _twice_ in one day..! Getting hugged like some sissy by some weirdo of a princess who I couldn't even turn to stone for some reason... thwarted by some Goron warrior out of nowhere and his wimpy human-sidekick... lost an invaluable prisoner... peed myself trying to pull some stupid sword that I somehow couldn't override... frozen by my so-called _'ally'_ in the middle of my fun... and now I'm being insulted and blamed for everything and treated like I'm incompetent?! Man, am I having a bad day! What did I possibly do to deserve this?! _Wait! I probably shouldn't even ask that..."

Watching the annoying champions depart, Kazama lets out an exasperated sigh. "Worthless lot... Every one of them!" he grumbles aloud to his Arch Wizzrobes, still standing silently beside him. "Even with Castle Town under my control, we still can't advance in our plans until we find some way to remove that blasted blade sealing us from our ultimate goals...and all I'm hearing is one stupid report after another about something going wrong! I'm fed up with it all! And I swear; if anyone brings in another rock for interrogation like those _idiot_ Wosu did, I'm just going to strike them dead where they stand _before_ I have to listen to another one of those moronic reports about what a _'formidable foe'_ it supposedly was!"

Just then, a bodyless Stalfos head comes frantically hopping towards Kazama with a report to make concerning a rebellious Goron that had defeated its comrades.

"Master Kazama!" calls the Stalfos head. "I have an urgent report! We are being resisted by a highly formidable foe!"

"Wait a minute..." interrupts Kazama, giving the Stalfos an order of silence with a motion of his hand. "This _'formidable foe'_ of yours wouldn't happen to be a _rock_ , now would it..?"

"Well, uh... Yeah..? Sort of..." replies the head.

 _*KA-ZAM!*_

Before another word can be spoken, Kazama obliterates the Stalfos head with a magic-attack. Nothing is left of it but a small crater in the ground where it stood.

"IDIOTS!" screams Kazama in frustration. "I'M WORKING WITH ABSOLUTE _IDIOTS!"_

* * *

End of Episode 7: _Escape From Castle Town  
_ To be continued in Episode 8:  
 _ **The Last Visit Home**_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Sorry if skipping the actual fight against the last two Wolfos seemed anticlimactic. I had a full battle with a twist planned, but this episode was already long enough and so I decided to just wrap things up here. I'll save that battle for another moment.**


	73. 8-1 The Rightful Master?

~SilentN

 **The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit** **  
** _Episode 8: The Last Visit Home_

 _Link and the royal Zora siblings take one final stop at the former's home to rest the night and bid his beloved grandmother farewell before departure. Ruto, however, in spite of all the hospitality she has been shown, is still not quite ready to trust these Hylians anymore than she has to and will be keeping a constant eye open for any sign of treason._

* * *

 **Chapter 1** **  
** _The Rightful Master?_

The Legend of the Master Sword:

 _In the calamitous war against the Demon King, the goddess Hylia is said to have gifted her chosen hero with a weapon of great power;_

 _The Master Sword._

 _According to some sources, it is said the the sword of legend was made by the hand of Hylia herself, though others claim it was crafted by an order of holy sages under her command. Whatever the case, the blade was wielded by the chosen hero to seal away the Demon King in a decisive battle to save humanity from what would have been certain destruction._

 _Bathed in three sacred flames burning with the essence of the golden goddesses and dubbed the Blade of Evil's Bane, the Master Sword is sealed with a holy light that demons revile. It cannot be touched by an evil hand, nor does it bestow its true power upon the unworthy._

 _It is said that the legendary blade can only be wielded by a master of its choosing; one whose heart is pure and whose spirit is like that of the hero of old. To even attempt to pull the holy weapon from its resting place could potentially end one's very life should the attempting hand possess not the sufficient level of wisdom, power, and courage to be recognized by the sword as a suitable master._

 _With its unsurpassed power to repel evil, the Master Sword is more than just a weapon alone; because only a righteous hand may pull the sacred blade from its place, it is equally effective as a sealing barrier. To this day, it is said that the Master Sword lies in rest sealing an ancient evil from ever reawakening upon the world._ _Thus the sword of legend must be left to rest forever._

 _And yet it does not rest; the Blade of Evil's Bane continues from its resting place to repel evil to this very day._

 _And it shall continue forevermore..._

* * *

"Is this it?" inquires Kazama as he finishes reading the passage from an old book that his subjects had uncovered. "Is this truly the only source of information you could find about that blasted sword in my way?"

Commander Crow nods while kneeling in subordination before the wizard. "So far, it is, my lord..." he answers. "Our subjects will continue to search, but this tidbit is all that has been uncovered as of yet."

"And what of the Scroll of Insight?" questions Kazama. "Hasn't that worthless Lynel turned it in yet?!"

"The Lynel was reported to have successfully escaped past the Hyrulean guards with the scroll in hand, but appears to have vanished from record at some point along the path between the castle and the place of rendezvous," answers Crow. "No further information of the beast's whereabouts nor the scroll it carried can be confirmed at this time."

"Well, no matter," says Kazama, looking over the selected page of the book once again. "Although I'm disappointed that this book doesn't have more to say about the sword than just this small passage, at least it does provide us with a better clue about how we are to remove that sealing sword. I had thought the blood of the goddess would have been enough to override the seal, but it says here that ' _only a righteous hand may pull the sacred blade from its place',_ and so on. If this is the case, then power alone will not be enough; we'll need to find someone whom the sword deems _'righteous'_ in the eyes of those blasted goddesses! _*Sigh*_ Looks like there's always a catch..."

"What now, my lord?" asks Crow, still kneeling upon the Temple of Time's marbled floor. "Any soldier the sword would deem 'righteous and powerful' enough to pull it is now sealed within Hyrule Castle. Are we to lower the barrier and line the captured soldiers to have them try to_"

"Of course not, you imbecile!" snaps the wizard, not even allowing Crow to finish his suggestion. "Under absolutely _NO_ circumstances are we to subside that barrier for even a minute! It took much sacrifice and planning to pull it off in the first place and there's no way we could get it back up in time before the entire Hyrulean Unit raises a counterattack if ever it were even momentarily removed! It would be the immediate end of my reign!"

"Forgive me, my lord..." says Crow submissively, though growing quietly annoyed at having to show constant subordination to this condescending wizard. "I realize it was an ignorant suggestion..."

"Ignorant? Try _'idiotic'!"_ scoffs Kazama rudely. "That barrier is the one and only thing keeping the Hyrulean Unit from taking back total control over town and thwarting my plans; it stays put until Hyrule Castle no longer stands!"

These words take Crow by surprise. "I...beg your pardon, my lord..?" he says with mild concern.

Kazama heeds him not. "Arborald! Rubyrn! Saphridge!" he says to his faithful Arch Wizzrobes standing ever beside him. "Get out and send immediate word to all Devastati forces that if any surviving soldiers should be found -or any other wannabe _'heroes'_ daring enough to try to resist my rule- they are to be kept alive at any costs and brought to me in chains! Not one rebel shall be killed until we have found one capable of removing that sealing sword!"

The three nod in understanding. "As you wish, Master Kazama..." they say in unison.

"Oh, yes! And make sure it is made clear to all morons that an inanimate rock does _NOT_ qualify!" he calls out to them in afterthought as they depart.

"Master Kazama..." Crow addresses; "May I ask; just how long _do_ you intend to keep the castle encased? What exactly did you mean in saying; _'until Hyrule Castle no longer stands'?"_

"Well, I certainly can't afford to risk releasing all those armed soldiers upon myself, now can I?" Kazama indignantly scoffs. "Until we have acquired the absolute power we seek that we can safely eliminate everyone within that barrier at once, it is to stay put until further notice."

The wizard glances around the temple as he continues;

"In the meantime, I shall require a dwelling place of my own from which I shall reign over this kingdom. Although the castle would normally be the ideal choice, I believe this temple shall have to do given the current circumstances. Its overall architectural design does fit appropriately enough... Although..."

 _*KA-ZAM!*_

An ancient statue of the goddess Hylia is disrespectfully shattered by the remorseless madman's magic. "...I _despise_ these tacky images of those insolent goddesses depicted everywhere in sight! How they mock me! Clearly the decor around here is far overdue for a heavy remodeling! It's high time this _'place of worship'_ be redecorated with a far more worshipful image... _MINE!"_

"But, my lord..." says Crow, growing impatient as the topic seems to keep shifting away from him; "Surely you do not intend to utterly _destroy_ the castle when the time comes to purge it of its current populace, do you? I was promised to have reign over Hyrule Castle and the surrounding part of the kingdom once the masters of the Devastati have risen to their full glory."

"Hm? Oh, yes, yes..." says Kazama, showing little to no concern over the matter. "Be patient, my pawn. Seizing control over Castle Town was merely the first step of my ascension into glory; you shall receive your inheritance as I continue to move up in my greater conquest... _IF_ you serve me well, of course."

"Understood, master..." says Crow, concealing his growing annoyance at this wizard's ever-condescending treatment towards him. "But you _will_ preserve for me what is to one day be mine, correct?"

"Oh, what does it matter?" scoffs Kazama. "We'll see how much of that old castle you so covet can be preserved, but if destroying it along with the Hyrulean Unit is necessary; so what? You can always have it rebuilt if that is what you wish... Bigger and better, even! Anything can be easily replaced when you have the power!"

"Nonetheless, my lord, I would prefer to personally supervise the plan of attack to see into it myself what can be done about preserving the spoils of my inheritance when the time of the Hyrulean Unit's annihilation comes," requests Crow.

"Meh. Whatever..." shrugs an unconcerned Kazama. "We'll talk more about that when the time comes. But as for now, none of that matters until we can advance in my plan...and that requires finding a way to remove that blasted sword's seal! Now then, if you have no more relevant news to report, then be a good pawn and return to your duty at once. You are dismissed."

Crow quietly grumbles under his breath as the wizard turns his back to him but continues to don his mask of apparent loyalty. "Yes... _master_ ," he says with hidden spite before rising to take leave.

Silent agitation stirs within the red-eyed champion as he exits the Temple of Time where Kazama has come to reside. "(Insolent wizard...)" he mentally scoffs to himself while treading down the Darknut-guarded path. "(I'll abide him as long as I must, but if he's thinking about denying me my rightful prize and inheritance at the last moment after his success -which I do not doubt- I may have to cut ties with that insufferable fool sooner than planned... He may be beyond my power at present, but we shall see which of us is truly the _'pawn'_ in this operation...)"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! We now begin the 8th episode, which will mostly be about Ruto beginning her first stages of character development, but teasing at the true nature of Crow's supposed "loyalty" seemed like a good opening.**

 **Anyway, some special news regarding the future of this fanfic; a few friends and I have recently started a project to make this story into a visual novel on YouTube! It will be quite some time yet before we're ready with even the first episode, but until then, I hope you'll continue to enjoy _The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit_ in written format like this.**


	74. 8-2 Bull Fright

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit,_ _Episode 8: The Last Visit Home_

 **Chapter 2** **  
** _Bull Fright_

The sky is black. The night is still. An exhausted Hylian and two royal Zoras tread quietly down the darkened farmlands with only the moon to light their way. Although visibility is poor, Link dares not light his lantern, as that would make it easier for the Devastati to spot them from afar. Fortunately, Zoras are blessed with descent night-vision, and so he has two allied pairs of eyes beside him able to watch where his own vision fails.

Well... only one pair now. The eyes of young Prince Zora VIII have grown far too heavy to keep open. Tiredness from the long day and dizziness from his injury have taken much toll on the little one. Link carries the sleeping child upon his back while Ruto walks upfront scanning every plant and animal they pass with the Scroll of Insight to help restore its lost data.

The home of the Hylian farmboy is a bit out of the way; a twenty-minute walk south of Castle Town if traveled by foot. Although this distance can sometimes be an inconvenience for him, it comes as a blessing tonight; being so far outside the city's walls means that the three runaways should be able to find brief refuge for the night with little risk of being found out by the Devastati.

There is no guarantee Link's beloved grandmother was allowed to return home after receiving her Seal of Subjection, but he hopes dearly for the chance to at least see her off before having to depart. There is no coming back after this.

Keeping off the main road to avoid detection, the three runaways stealthily detour through the many farm-fields as they make their way. They succeed in eluding the eyes of any monsters and are at last nearing their destination. Link heaves a breath of relief as a small farmhouse comes into view ahead.

 _Home._

Adding further to his relief is the sight of lit lanterns illuminating the house from within; a sure sign that his grandmother must have made it home safely and is there waiting for him. Link thanks the goddesses she is alright.

"Here we are," he whispers to Ruto. "That's my home right up ahead."

"About time, already..." grumbles the Zora, irritable with exhaustion. She looks to the small farmhouse her Hylian host points out. She is not impressed. "Wait_ _That's_ the place you expect me to stay at? What a dump! You didn't tell me you lived in some cheap _farmhouse!_ Is this really the best lodging you have to offer royalty?"

Link can only give her a bemused look. _What was she expecting?_

" _Hmph._ Oh, whatever..." Ruto scoffs. "I guess beggars can't be choosers... Just don't expect me to sleep in your barn or anything. I have a ladylike dignity to uphold, you know."

Immediately after saying this, the sassy princess casually hops up onto a nearby fence and proceeds to walk its beams. Link is unsure just how _'ladylike'_ this tomboyish behavior really is but sees no need to judge. He sometimes walks narrow beams like that himself to challenge his own ability to balance, as a matter of fact. Though he generally never does so on this particular fence because of_

 _Wait a second..!_

"Princess..! Get down from there..!" he alerts her hastily with a hushed holler.

" _Tsk!_ What are you, my father..?" she scoffs indignantly. "I am not a child, you know. I don't need to be told what to do by some little_"

" _MOOOOOOOO..!"_

An angry bellow echoes out. The sound of charging hooves approaching fast rumbles like thunder.

 _*Gallop! Gallop! Gallop!*_

None to Link's surprise, Bruno, his neighbor's ornery bull, is charging at full speed towards the fence with horns pointed forward... Pointed straight for the intruding Zora walking on his fence!

Ruto lets out a scream. Losing her balance, she falls backwards from the fence just before the incoming beast's sharp horns can impale her. Link is unable to catch her due to his arms being in use to support the sleeping child on his back. She lands flat on her backside on the ground outside the fence.

 _*Thud!*_

Junior awakens from all the noise. "Ah! Wh-what happened?!"

"OW! What in the world is _that?!_ " says the frantic princess on the ground.

Bruno bellows loudly from his side of the fence. Ruto hastily jolts back and crawls away in panic before getting back to her feet and standing behind Link as a shield. "That's Bruno," says the Hylian. "He's the reason you don't want to go near that fence... Are you okay?"

" _Okay_..?! That thing just tried to _kill_ me!" huffs Ruto. "And all while _YOU_ were standing _right there_ without even bothering to catch me as I fell flat on my royal bum! What's the matter with you, boy?! Haven't you ever heard of a thing called ' _chivalry'?!"_

"Sorry..." says Link. "My hands were full..."

" _Hmph!_ Excuses, excuses..." scoffs the princess. She then realizes she something important is now missing from her grasp. "Wait_ Oh no! The scroll!"

Sure enough, the dropped Scroll of Insight lies on the ground...on Bruno's side of the fence! The enraged bull stands over the ancient artifact though he cares about it not; his eyes remain fixed on the intruders behind his fence, ready to impale any of them who dare to step back into his territory once again.

"It landed in there with that big brute!" Ruto complains. "We need to get it back!"

Junior sizes the enormous bull up and down. "You don't plan on going in there, do you?" he asks with worry. "My healing powers are all wore out yet from bringing you back from stone!"

Ruto readies her bladed rod. "Then I guess I'll just have to kill the thing before_"

"Stop," interrupts Link, calmly extending an arm in front of the princess to block her before she does anything stupid or unnecessary. "I'll get it..." He gently sets Junior down before approaching the angry bull. The two Zoras are surprised at how unreasonably calm this Hylian is as he walks right up to the unruly animal with his hand outstretched. "Hey... Calm down, Bruno... It's just me... Calm down..." he says soothingly.

Much to their amazement, the enraged beast does indeed calm down for him, and calms down quickly. The gentle Hylian is soon petting the now-relaxed bull on the snout as it willingly allows him to climb over the fence to retrieve the dropped item. He returns to the Zoras outside the fence just as easily.

"That was amazing!" says Junior with awe. "He calmed right down for you!"

"What the halibut did you do?!" says Ruto, somewhat uncomfortable. "Was that some kind of sorcery?!"

Link shakes his head. "He's just used to me..." he answers simply, petting the bull once more.

"Is he your bull then?" asks Junior, stepping closer to give the calmed beast a gentle pat of his own, which Bruno allows.

"Not anymore..." answers Link, supervising closely in case the unpredictable bull should rear up again. "He belongs to our neighbors now."

"Well, whatever," says Ruto, stepping closer to receive the scroll from the Hylian. "All I care is that the thing isn't rampaging anymore..."

" _MOO..!"_

Bruno bellows in anger once more as Ruto approaches, sending her jumping back in fright. Link hastily pulls both Zoras away.

"I don't think he likes you..." says Junior to his sister.

"W-well, the feeling is mutual!" scoffs the shaken princess, doing her best to conceal her uneasiness. "Now let's get going. I don't want to be in the presence of this smelly manure-machine another minute!"

No sooner than she takes her next step, her foot is met with a metal object on the ground...as her face is met with a wooden pole that springs up!

 _*Bonk!*_

" _OW!_ What the halibut..?!" She rubs her forehead and looks to the object that struck her. "Whose idea was it to set a booby trap out here?!"

"Oh! It looks like Talon misplaced his farming hoe again..." says Link. "Are you okay..?"

"You stupid humans!" she snaps. "Don't you ever pick up after yourselves?! You shouldn't just leave dangerous junk laying about for people to step on like that!"

"This is my neighbor's land, not mine..." Link reminds. "We're technically trespassing right now..."

"Well, then tell your stupid neighbor to learn to put his stupid tools away properly!" says she. "Carelessness and stupidity are the cause of all accidents, you know!" Immediately after saying this, the agitated princess turns back around to continue her path.

Only to step on the farming hoe once again.

 _*Bonk!*_

Junior watches expressionlessly as his sister falls flat on her back after carelessly repeating her own mistake. "They sure are..."

"Oh, shut up..." grunts Ruto. She groggily sits up and looks to the bull watching with what she presumes to be mirth in his eyes. "What are you silently laughing at, you literal son of a hamburger?!"

Rolling his eyes, Link helps her to her feet and decides to pick up the farming hoe before anyone hurts themselves on it again. He will give it to his grandmother to return to Talon in the morning. The three proceed towards the young Hylian's house the next yard over.

A question raises from Junior along the way; "May I ask something?" inquires the little prince. "You said that bull doesn't belong to you _'anymore'..._ Did he used to?"

Link nods.

"So...what happened?" asks the prince, curious to hear more.

"This field used to belong to my grandparents..." answers Link. "We used to raise both cattle and cuccos back in the day, but..."

The Hylian takes a pause. He seems lost in thought.

"But..?" asks a puzzled Junior, prompting him to continue.

"...But it eventually just got to be too much to manage," Link resumes; "We had to sell most of our land and livestock awhile back and limit ourselves to just cuccos and crops. This land and its livestock are property of Lon Lon Ranch now."

Although Junior, in his young age, is too simple-minded to catch on, there appears to be something more to the story than Link is sharing; something that the mysteriously quiet Hylian wishes not to bring up.

Ruto notices.

She knows not what he is withholding, nor does she care to condescend to inquire, but she knows something is on his mind. His avoidance is clear. Suspicion fills her mind. _What could this shady creature be hiding?_

As they enter the borders of Link's land, the alert Zora carefully scans her surroundings for anything worthy of suspicion. The range of his land is fairly small in comparison to most of the other local farms in the area, with only a cocco-coup, a medium-sized shed, some fields of various crops growing, and a number of apple trees scattered about.

Her eyes then land upon one particular sight she expected not... One that she recognizes as a threat to her life!

" _AAAAIIIEEEEEE..!_ WHAT THE HALIBUT IS THAT THING?!"

Link and Junior jolt from her sudden scream of ear-splitting volume. Their eyes, too, catch sight of the source of her panic;

A hairy beast is seated upon the front porch to Link's home...laying in wait for the very Hylian who lives here to show! Armed with sharp claws for raking into the flesh of its prey, pointed teeth to subdue and devour anything to have the misfortune of being caught in its predatory jaws, and glowing eyes that pierce through the darkness of the night, the carnivorous creature gazes eagerly upon the three arrivals...

Its long wait finally over, the beast springs forth!

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Sorry if this chapter wasn't as fulfilling as it should be. I didn't intend to end it right here, but it got to be too long after all the comedy I was trying to cram in and so I decided to split it into two...and cut out with another taunting cliffhanger. LOL**

 **Anyway, I am pleased to say that the project announced in the last note now has enough members to commence! In addition to myself, three other artists and at least two voice actors have accepted the invitation, which is enough to complete the first chapter at the very least. We'll focus on finishing that first and getting farther along before we start seeking out further recruitment. In the meantime; I have a LOT of artwork to do, so I apologize in advance if my update rate here slows down a bit. ^_^'**


	75. 8-3 The Lurking Watcher

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 8: The Last Visit Home_

 **Chapter 3** **  
** _The Lurking Watcher_

" _AAAAIIIEEEEEE..!_ WHAT THE HALIBUT IS THAT THING?!"

Her left arm gripped tightly around his throat in panic, Ruto stands behind Link to use as a human-shield as the creature approaches fast. The said creature stops its advance in hesitation upon seeing the Rod of Jabuni in the defensive Zora's right hand, ready to impale on contact if he dares get any nearer. Its eyes fixed upon the Hylian it has been lying in wait for, the carnivorous beast emits a distinct call that its kind is known for;

" _Meow.._?"

"That ' _thing'_ would be my cat; Storm..." explains Link calmly, Princess Ruto still clinging to him in a death-grip. "He's perfectly harmless..."

"I thought you just said the only animals you had were cuccos!" shouts Ruto. "I swear, if that vermin comes near me, I'm going to_!"

"He's _not_ a 'vermin'; he's a _CAT..."_ corrects Link, blocking the agitated Zora off from potentially doing any possible harm to his beloved pet. "He keeps the land _free_ of vermin."

"It's vermin enough for me!" says Ruto. "I _hate_ hairy things! They're all creepy!"

"Aw, I think he looks cute," says Junior, gently holding his hand out for Storm to sniff.

"Don't touch it!" snaps Ruto. "It might be diseased!"

"He's _not_ diseased..." says Link. "I assure you..."

"Like I'd trust the opinion of some filthy _human_ for hygienic approval!" scoffs Ruto. "I hear you fleabags only bathe once a _month_! ...If even that!"

"What..?! No..! I bathe everyday..!" says Link in initial defense...though does quickly realize she may have somewhat of a point; her words do indeed describe the other swordsmen he has trained with under Sir Pent with disturbingly true accuracy.

Hearing the commotion outside, Link's grandmother answers the door before they even reach the house. Much to Link's dismay (but not surprise), she already has the Devastati's Seal of Subjection burned into her forehead, meaning that she has no chances of escaping with them.

"Link? Is that you?" asks she, surprised to find Link accompanied by anyone. "Who's that with you..?"

"It's a long story..." answers Link. "I'll explain inside..."

Taking Storm into his arms and setting Talon's farming hoe leaning against the wall outside the house, he leads the Zoras indoors with his grandmother. The latter quickly realizes who her new guests are as they step inside. "You..." she says with awe; "You are the children of King Zora, aren't you..?"

Zora Jr greets her with a courteous bow and smile. "That's right. I am Prince Zora De Bon VIII, but everyone just calls me 'Zora Jr'...or even just 'Junior'. And this is my sister, Princess Rutoria, but she usually just goes by 'Ruto'."

Ruto says nothing. She is paying the conversation no mind.

Her attention is far too occupied watching in paranoia the every move of that unnerving animal known as a 'cat' as it stares up at her with curiosity. _This creepy thing doesn't feed on Zora blood, does it..?!_

"Oh, my goodness!" says the old woman. "I never imagined I would ever find myself with royalty under my roof one day! Oh, but where are my manners? My name is Linda. It is an honor to meet you both. Will you be staying awhile?"

"They'll be staying here for the night to hide from the Devastati..." Link answers, raising not his eyes to look at her; "Probably leaving for Zora's Domain before even sunrise... _But_..."

The elderly woman's heart suddenly sinks with suspense and dread upon hearing that final ' _but'_ her grandchild just uttered. The tone so somber yet so serious, she realizes immediately that bad news is about to follow. She looks to him with bated breath awaiting to hear just what he has to say.

Though she already has a pretty good idea...

"I..." Link mutters, unsure how to begin. His somber eyes now slowly rise to meet hers. "I'll be leaving with them...and I won't be coming back..."

* * *

Meanwhile, two red eyes peer through the window of the little farmhouse. "(I'm surprised they actually made it all the way out here in one piece...)" thinks the cloaked figure the said eyes belong to, who is none other than Lark. "( _Tsk!_ That punk's out of his mind if he thinks he's actually going to get anywhere with that stuck-up Zora princess. What kind of idiot wastes his time with a girl that won't even reward him afterwards? Talk about stupid!)"

The hooded miscreant turns away from the window. An exasperated sigh passes his lips.

"(Well, whatever...)" he scoffs to himself. "(That old fish-dame ain't worth anything. As fun as it would have been to step in and pickup the girl he was trying to get right in front of his eyes, she really has nothing to do with things anyway. What I need to figure out is...that move he used...)"

Closing his eyes, Lark reflects back to when he witnessed Link's battles earlier today; how the small Hylian dodged a surprise assault from an Acheman on the castle's rooftops and countered with a sudden flurry of attacks too fast to follow; how he jumped from on horseback in the middle of a high-speed pursuit to successfully fire multiple arrows into a Lynel's back within the mere split-second of time he was in the air; how he repeated those very same moves when fighting alongside him and the Zora princess in the battle to rescue the latter's brother even though it never should have been physically possible to pull them off in the first place.

"(There's no way anyone could move that fast naturally...)" Lark contemplates. "(It was like time itself just stopped for him as he attacked! There's no mistaking it; the move he used...was the _Flurry Rush!)"_

Anger and envy burn within his heart and mind. Frustrated, he takes it out by kicking over the nearby farming hoe that Link had just set leaning against the wall.

 _*Clang!*_

"(But _how_..?! I've spent my entire life trying to learn that hidden skill!)" the Sheikah descendant continues to mentally gripe; "(And then _that_ little chump simply up and pulls it off just like that?! Just...like... _THAT?!_ What does he have that I don't?!)"

He peers back into the window again. The Zoras have been excused to go and make themselves at home while Link can be seen speaking to his grandmother, recounting to her all that has happened and explaining why he must leave for her own safety. Lark's hateful eyes remain fixed on the young Hylian, malice burning intensely within them.

"(I will _not_ let myself be surpassed in any shape or form by some worthless greenhorn!)" he vows to himself. "(I'm ten times better then that idiot_ A _hundred_ times better! And I'm going to make sure that's clear. And since the little twerp seems so intent on trying to win that Zora princess's favor, I'm going to make sure she gets to watch for herself as I succeed where her sissy excuse of a ' _hero'_ fails!)"

The hooded miscreant turns to leave. He looks to Castle Town in the distance. A dastardly smirk forms on his lips as a plan to quickly bring about his golden opportunity forms fast in his mind. _Those fools will soon see exactly what perfection looks like!_

He then steps on the very farming hoe he had just knocked over, getting himself hit in the face as it springs up.

 _*Bonk!*_

* * *

"...And that's why...I need to leave with them..." Link finishes explaining to his grandmother with a heavy heart. "I hate having to leave you by yourself, especially at a time like this with this Devastati taking over, but I'll just be putting you in danger if I stay any longer... I'm so sorry..."

"I understand..." says his disheartened grandmother. "You have no need to apologize. You made the right choice standing up to the Devastati to save those Zoras. There's no telling what would have happened to them if you didn't."

"I probably shouldn't have even stopped by after all I did to upset those tyrants..." sighs Link. "I know I've only risked leading the monsters here, but I needed to tell you..."

"No..." replies Link's grandmother. "I'm glad you did stop by. I would have worried myself to death if I never found out what happened or gotten to see you one last time."

"So do you think you'll be okay without me..?" asks he, unable to raise his eyes to look at her.

"Well, it won't be easy..." she admits with a sigh. "But I'll manage. Don't worry yourself over me and just focus on doing what you know is right."

"Just remember that you'll be in grave danger if the Devastati ever finds out that the swordsman who resisted them today is your grandson," reminds Link. "That's why I want you to make sure that no one knows I'm even alive. If anyone ever asks -whether they're friend or foe- just tell them that I never made it out of the castle... Can you do that, please?"

"Yes, I can do that," says she. "But what do you intend to do once you've finished escorting the Zoras? You know humans aren't allowed to live in Zora's Domain, don't you?"

"Yes, I know," says Link. "And I'm not sure what I'll do yet... But now that this 'Devastati' has taken over Castle Town and trapped the entire Hyrulean unit, I doubt they're going to just stop there; I'm sure they're already preparing to take over all of Hyrule now that there's no one to stop them... But now that I'm one of the last few swordsmen left, I realize that it's my duty to help spread the word to other towns and tribes before they're all overthrown in the same way we were. If we can gather enough swordsmen from smaller villages before the Devastati takes them over, perhaps we can form some sort of an army to take back Hyrule Castle and save everyone..? I know it's a long shot, but it's better than just giving up..."

His grandmother smiles at his will to persevere. "You do have so much of your father's hopeful spirit in you, don't you? He would have been proud of your decision... I know I am."

Link faintly returns his grandmother's smile. Even in these dark and troubling times, she still makes a point of remaining as cheerful as ever.

Even if they both know...that the said cheerfulness is merely a mask to hide the utmost devastation overwhelming her broken heart...

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! So that last cliffhanger was kind of troll-ish. LOL Like I said; this and the previous chapter were originally planned to be one chapter, but it just got to be too long and so I had to split it rather abruptly. Heads-up: the next chapter also focuses more on comedy rather than being particularly eventful (though there is some slight foreshadowing present as well), so don't expect any immediate action just yet. (It will come soon enough, though.)**

 **Now, I don't really feel like I captured the emotion in this chapter nearly as well as I would have liked, but it's done. Anyway, Lark has returned, and we now see a little more about his true intentions; his motives aren't really so much about impressing Ruto as they are about upstaging Link. He has misinterpreted Link's reasons for helping the royal Zoras and wants to beat him to his presumed goal just as Link had unwittingly beaten him to his own goal of learning the legendary 'Flurry Rush' technique (which is what Link has unknowingly been using to get out of a pinch numerous times already).**


	76. 8-4 Trust-Issues

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 8: The Last Visit Home_

 **Chapter 4** **  
** _Trust-Issues_

The sound is heard wherever she goes;

 _*Tap, tap, tap...*_

Princess Ruto thoroughly tests every square foot of the creaky farmhouse by tapping away at each wall and floor with her rod. She listens closely to the sound of each tap, as if expecting to hear something knock back from the other side.

"(They don't seem to be hiding any secret chambers behind any of these walls...)" she concludes to herself. "(I'll have to think up an excuse to look around outside so I can inspect their barn and sheds later...)"

Having inspected the house's interior, she takes her investigation to the contents of the nearby closet in the bedroom she has been lent by Link's grandmother Linda. Each and every shelf and chest is thoroughly searched for anything that might expose these Hylian hosts of hers to be secret killers seeking to harm her or her brother in their sleep tonight. Finding nothing of the sort thus far, she soon comes across a small but long case that she deems worthy of inspection. _Better make sure this doesn't hold some kind of doohickey used for summoning demons or killing people for ritual sacrifice..._ Seating herself on the floor, she carefully opens the box.

 _*Click*_

Peering inside, she finds it contains nothing more than an ancient flute with intricate design. Disappointed, she closes the lid again and sets the box down to resume her search for something more dangerous, or at least something that would be more out-of-the-ordinary to be found in the possession of some farming bumpkins than this priceless piece of_

 _Wait a second..!_

Picking up the box again, Ruto quickly swings it open to have another look at the antique inside. Taking the mysterious instrument into her hands, she gazes with awe upon its splendor. Its very material is foreign to her and appears to radiate with an enchanted aura.

"(What in the world..?)" she thinks to herself. "(This thing looks like something salvaged from a lost civilization! How the halibut does a family of farmers afford something of this level of quality? Am I staying under the roof of a bunch of thieves?!)"

A voice speaks out to her from behind; "What are you doing..?"

" _Eep_..!" Ruto jolts in alarm, hastily hiding the instrument behind her back as she turns to face the person who has caught her. "Oh, it's just you..." she pants with relief at the sight of her brother standing alone in the doorway. "What are you trying to do, give me a heart attack? You should know very well that it's rude to walk in on someone without knocking!"

"Not half as rude as snooping through other people's personal belongings..." Junior dryly retorts, pointing out his sister's current actions.

"Oh, shut it..!" hushes Ruto. "I'm just being cautious. Just because we have to rely on these humans doesn't mean we have to trust them. There's no telling what kind of secrets they may be hiding."

"You're _still_ that mistrusting of Sir Link?" says Junior. "I should think by now he's proven himself to be fully trustworthy."

"Don't give him such a formal title. He's just a lowly bumpkin," Ruto objects. "And I have every reason in the world to keep on guard against these shady Hylians. Just take a look at _THIS."_ She holds up the priceless artifact she discovered for him to see.

"A _flute_..?" says Junior dully, finding not any issue. "Oh yes, that is _sooooooo_ shady... _*gasp!*_ You don't suppose they're plotting to use that to keep us up all night with bad music, do you? What fiends..!"

"Hey! Don't you sass off! That's _MY_ job!" scolds the elder sibling. "And since you're obviously too ignorant to put two-and-two together, let me spell it out for you; this flute is stolen property..!"

" _Stolen_..?!" exclaims the younger in disbelief.

" _Shh..!_ Keep it down..." shushes Ruto.

"What makes you say it's stolen?" asks Junior quietly.

"Isn't it obvious?" says Ruto, her voice in a hushed tone for only him to hear. "Just look at it; an instrument of this value can't be worth anything less than a fortune..! You can't tell me a _'humble'_ family of farmers just up and bought it with their own finances. No; there's only one way these peasants could have gotten their hands on such a treasure...and that way is by _theft!_ We're sheltering in a den of thieves..!"

Junior is unconvinced. "There's no proof it was stolen. Why don't we just ask them where it came from before making assumptions?"

Ruto: "Don't be a fool! Do you think I want them knowing that I've been digging around in their closet? We can't let them know we're on to them..!"

Junior: "Well, whatever... But I really don't think Link or his grandmother are thieves at all. They seem like perfectly good people to me."

Ruto: "Don't be so blind. I've been keeping my eyes open around that bumpkin since we ran into him and have seen _plenty_ of signs worthy of suspicion..."

Junior: "What do you mean?"

Ruto: "I've been doing a lot of thinking on the road since we parted ways with that _'TriSpirit'_ , as she called herself... She might not have done us any harm, but the very fact that some spirit would just inexplicably appear before us in this weird farmboy's company like that still speaks volumes about what kind of shady characters these Hylians really are."

Junior: "You've completely lost me... What does Tricela helping us have to do with anything? How does that make these Hylians any more _'shady'.._?"

Ruto: "Think about it; Have you ever, in your life, had a spirit appear to you before any of this? Or even heard of anyone who has?"

Junior: "No. Can't say that I have..."

Ruto: "Exactly. Such an occasion is completely unnatural. It should never happen. And yet, the day we meet this mysterious Hylian boy, some otherworldly being just calmly shows up out of nowhere...and he seems perfectly okay with it all! Obviously, this guy must have some kind of personal connection to the supernatural himself if a spirit would suddenly show up to help him like that...which means he must be associated with some creepy occult. We have no idea what kinds of bizarre rituals secretly take place under this very roof if that's the case..."

Junior only stares at her with an expression both blank and baffled. "Um... I didn't really understand much of that...but if you're so worried about what might be under the roof, maybe you could ask for them to show you the attic?"

"What? No, not the _actual_ roof..! What I meant was_ Oh, forget it..." Ruto palms her face with a sigh. "Just...keep your guard up around these Hylians. We have no idea what they're really up to."

 _Then again, that attic probably would be worth inspecting for any possible dead bodies and/or suspicious contraptions that might be used for human/Zora-sacrifice..._

Junior cares little about what negativity Ruto has to say about their Hylian hosts. Link has already proven himself to be a dependable hero in the little prince's eyes; far more so than his own sister obviously is. Taking refuge here in the selfless swordsman's house is the most relatively safe the young Zora has felt since the before Devastati's attack commenced.

"Well, anyway," he says with an eye-roll; "I was asked to tell you that dinner is about to be served. I'm sure you're starving after being locked in that dungeon half the day."

" _Ugh._ Don't remind me..." says Ruto, putting the flute back where she found it. "You know I hate it when you say something I can't argue with."

"I suppose you'll want to test each dish to make sure it's not _poisoned_..?" Junior remarks with teasing sarcasm as the two siblings head out the bedroom door.

Ruto: "I would, but I'm too famished to even care anymore... Having already been starved half to death by that good-for-nothing King Roark is the only reason I'm willing to consider dining with human-bumpkins in the first place. _Yeesh._ I don't even want to _know_ what it is these barbarians eat..."

Junior: "Oh, come on. It can't be that bad."

Ruto: "Can't it? Wait till you see. I wouldn't even be surprised if it's been 'recycled'..."

Junior: "Now that's just silly. I'm sure it's something decent."

Grandmother Linda smiles to the Zoras as they enter the dining-room, where she and Link are setting the table. "There you are! Dinner is served, my dears."

"Thank you. May I ask what we are having?" says Junior politely.

"My own pea soup," smiles Grandmother Linda, placing the bowls on the table. "I hope you like it."

Junior nudges Ruto. "See? I told you..." he whispers to her. "Nothing nasty. Just plain, decent_" Realization suddenly hits the younger Zora. A look of horror washes over his face. " _PEE SOUP_..?!"

Ironically, Ruto is the one who understood the elderly woman's meaning and corrects her confused brother; "Not _that_ kind of 'pea', you doop! She's talking about vegetables."

"Oh! Vegetables... Right..." sighs the little one in a breath of relief...until another disturbing realization sets in again; "Wait... _VEGETABLES.._?!"

 _*Thud!*_

Overwhelmed, the little Zora prince has fainted from sheer horror.

Link and his grandmother are both thrown into a panic. "Oh my goodness!" gasps the latter. "What happened?! Is he okay..?!"

"Bah. He's fine..." says an unconcerned Ruto. "He always does that when he has to eat vegetables."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! As I said beforehand; this scene exists almost solely for comedy. The action scenes will return later. Also, I apologize for the unintended hiatus; I've been busy working on the first scene for the animated version of this story, which left me with less time to finish this chapter, and then I ended up getting sick, delaying production even further...**

 **Anyway, for those who may be interested in seeing how the animation is coming; I did get a demo-preview of the first scene uploaded to YouTube recently. Don't expect too much from it just yet, however; it's still a work-in-progress and far from complete at this time. It is merely a quick, incomplete demo to help set a direction for the rest of the project. Everything in it is still subject to change.**


	77. 8-5 Sleepless

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 8: The Last Visit Home_

 **Chapter 5** **  
** _Sleepless_

The hour draws late. Everyone is resting up for the night.

Or at least trying to.

Princess Ruto lies restless in bed beside her younger brother, whose injured arm (now fastened in a much more secure cast made by Link from two planks of wood and cloth padding for better protection than the previous one made of broken branches and torn rags) is rested on a pillow set upon a nightstand beside him. The two were lent Link's grandparents' bed while his grandmother Linda volunteered to sleep in her chair tonight, as there are only two beds present in the house and hers is the one large enough for two.

"Gyaah! How does that old woman _sleep_ in this thing?!" gripes the restless princess. "This squeaky bed is totally shot! And the pillows are all wore out! I'm never going to get any sleep in _this_ old thing!"

"Neither will I..." sighs the prince. "At least not with _you_ around..."

" _Humph!_ I could say the same about _you_!" scoffs Ruto. "Having to share a bed with my little brother like some poverty-stricken peasant is absolutely humiliating! Why do these humans only have two beds in their entire house, anyway?!"

"Oh, I dunno..." says Junior in a sarcastic tone. "Maybe because they _are_ poverty-stricken peasants and so that's all they can afford..?"

"Oh, sure. Get technical on me..." Ruto grumbles before rolling over with a huff, still struggling to get comfortable. "I wish they at least had a nice pool of water I could sleep in instead of this creaky old thing. No matter which way I turn, either my buckler or one of my cuffs is digging into my skin! At this rate, I'll be covered in bruises by morning!"

The young prince just looks his sister up and down. "I'm sure it'd help a _lot_ if you'd just take off all that jewelry and stuff..." says he, unamused. "Who even wears all that to bed, anyhow?"

"I am _not_ letting any of my valuables out of sight for even a single minute until we're safely back home and rid of the company of these obvious thieves!" the elder sibling insists. "If I take any of this off in this house, I might never see it again!"

"Just because you found an expensive-looking flute in their house -by snooping where you didn't belong, mind you- doesn't make them thieves," reminds the younger. "I still don't believe they'd do anything like that."

"You're too trusting," says Ruto. "You shouldn't let your guard down around these humans."

"Why? They've done no wrong," says Junior. "...Well, aside from making _vegetables_ for dinner, of course. But other than that, they've been very nice and done nothing but help us."

"I _know,"_ says Ruto, turning to face her brother again with a stern countenance. "Which is precisely _why_ we can't trust them!"

The younger Zora is now puzzled. "Um... How's that?"

Rolling onto her back, the elder sibling lets out an exasperated sigh and gazes up to the ceiling. "Because nice people are always fake..." she laments. "Especially when it's a case of _Hylians_ being nice to Zoras like us..."

"What makes you say that?" asks Junior.

"Believe me. I speak from experience..." Ruto sits up and crosses her arms in thought. Her eyes gaze out the nearby window through the gap in the curtains at the moonlit night. Hurtful memories swirling about her mind, they are masked behind her somber scowl.

She continues speaking, a melancholy lack of outward emotion carried in her disconsolate tone;

"Hylians consider themselves to be the _'closest to the gods'_ whereas Zoras are known to have descended from a former race of monsters. Humans think this makes themselves automatically _'superior'_ over us, and that we perpetually owe them _'compensation'_ for whatever conflict that our uncivilized ancestors may have caused in the ancient past. We're an _'inferior'_ race in their eyes; undeserving to be treated as equals and worth little more than animals. They care little to nothing about our kind, and all hospitality and supposed acceptance they show us is merely an act to keep us on their side. So whenever a Hylian would go out of their way to help a Zora in need...that's a sure sign they're only looking to take advantage of us. They'd never stoop down to show us kindness if they weren't planning on getting something out of it."

"They're not all like that," says the younger Zora. "Everyone is different, and there are still some Hylians who really do care about Zoras."

The elder sibling shakes her head. "I remember once thinking the same...back when I was young and naive like you... But such idealistic thinking proved to be for the delusional. You saw for yourself how even that Goron back in Castle Town couldn't bother to show us any respect even though he knew upfront that we were royalty; although he openly admitted that he'd carry out any request from _Hylian_ royalty like Zelda without question, he was unwilling to show even a splinter of such courtesy to a _Zora_ princess and straight out called our tribe _'irrelevant'_ to my face. Now, if even a Goron -whose tribe holds an even lower level of political status than our own- would look down so much upon our kind, then how can you expect those who are allegedly the _'closest to the gods'_ to think any better of us? The only way any Hylian would ever bat an eye to a Zora in distress is if they see opportunity for personal gain..."

"But Link risked his own life more than once to protect us," says Junior. "And he said so himself that he doesn't ask for any payment for helping us get home."

"That's what they all say initially, but I've known enough phony _'gentlemen'_ like him to know where this is _really_ going..." scoffs Ruto. "It's the oldest trick in the book; by pretending he doesn't want anything in return, he hopes to win our trust and respect. Then, once he has us indebted to him, he thinks he can request any personal favour as our trusted _'friend'_ and we won't be able to turn him down after the way he so _selflessly helped us_ in our own time of need... And I think I have a pretty good guess as to what kind of _'favour'_ he's ultimately aiming for, too. It's the same stupid, selfish goal that all swordsmen relentlessly compete for..."

There is a brief pause. The princess's scowl intensifies. Her fins flap in agitation. She continues;

"...My affections. -No... A _princess's_ affections! He already gave himself away from the start when he emphasized how important it was for me to stay safe so I could _return to my people to lead them as their new ruler._ Not at all because he actually _cares_ about a Zora like me; he just wants to marry his way into royalty and rise in status...just like all the other unwanted suitors I've been trying to get off my back..!

"Of course, the fact that he's a Hylian and a commoner means that no one will disapprove of me for refusing to accept his invitation of courtship when he asks, so he should at least be a lot easier to shoo away than most. But even so, one never knows what other many _'favours'_ he might ask for instead once he realizes my affections are out of the question...

"That's the real reason why I'm buying him that magic armour for the journey; not so much for the sake of protection in battle like I let him believe it to be, but more as a means of staying two steps ahead of him and his scams. My plan is to let him keep it as an unasked reward once we've made it home safely, and then he can't complain that I never did anything to repay his _'kindness'_ to us afterward. And because this armour is something valuable that no peasant like him could ever afford on his own, he'd only make a greedy fool of himself if he were ever to ask for more after having already received a free gift of that quality! Clever, yes?"

Ruto turns to face her brother, expecting to be complimented for her skills of thinking ahead.

But the little one is fast asleep.

 _*Zzzzz...*_

"Hey! Wake up!" snaps Ruto, jolting him awake. "First father this afternoon and now _you?_ What's with everyone always dozing off when I'm trying to talk to them?!"

A startled Junior snaps back into reality, causing great discomfort for his broken arm as he jolts from his abrupt awakening. Regathering his surroundings, he rubs his heavy eyes groggily, unsure why his sister deemed it necessary to wake him. "Ugh. Sorry... But isn't sleeping what we're _supposed_ to be doing right now..?"

The elder sibling lays back down with an exasperated sigh. "Oh, forget it... Just take my advice and don't get too attached to these humans. We're nothing more than a means to an end to them..."

Seeing his sister lay down to rest, Junior deems it acceptable to try and fall back to sleep again. "Goodnight..." he says to her.

"I _wish.._." she grumpily scoffs. "I just hope that... _thing_ doesn't find some way of creeping in here and poison our blood once we actually do fall asleep."

The prince grows puzzled. "What ' _thing'_..?"

"You know," Ruto whispers; "That hairy vermin those humans keep around here as a pet..!"

"You mean the _cat.._?" asks Junior, raising his brow.

"Yes! _That_ thing!" says Ruto. "I swear the little monster has been just waiting for its opportunity to drink us dry of blood since the moment we arrived!"

"It's a _cat,_ not a vampire..." says the unamused prince. "I'm _pretty sure_ cats don't drink blood."

"Oh! Come to think of it..." Ruto suddenly springs up from the bed, taking out the Scroll of Insight from under her pillow. "I completely forgot to scan the vile creature when we came in! I should collect the info on its breed right away and make sure it's not the poisonous kind!"

" _Poisonous_..?!" says Junior, unsure if he should even be surprised anymore at this point. "You really don't know anything about cats at all, do you?"

"Stay here," she orders on her way out the bedroom door, heeding not her brother's remark. "I've got some dangerous work to do."

The prince watches expressionlessly as his sister shuts the door behind her, Scroll of Insight and Rod of Jabuni both in hand for her _'dangerous mission'_ ahead. "Try to come back in one piece..." comes his sarcastic mumble.

Alone at last, but now too wakeful to soon fall back to sleep, his gaze turns towards the window facing northward. Through the gap in the curtains, he can faintly make out a glimpse of the encased Hyrule Castle far in the distance. He fights the urge to shed tears as the haunting scene plays out again in his mind of the traumatizing events that took place there just hours ago.

Including the bloodshed that happened right before his very eyes...

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Sorry for yet another late upload. I wasn't satisfied with this scene and ended up rewriting it from scratch to improve the pace and make the conversation more on point, so it took longer to finish. I was also hoping to close this chapter with a flashback of Zora Jr's point of view about the castle raid, but it got to be too long, so I decided to save that for later and only tease it for now instead.**


	78. 8-6 Bloodshed

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 8: The Last Visit Home_

 **Chapter 6** **  
** _Bloodshed_

Laying awake in the bed he has been lent, the haunting scene plays out yet again in the little Zora prince's mind; that of the Devastati's raid upon Hyrule Castle, which Junior had the traumatic misfortune of witnessing firsthand in his young and helpless age...

 _He was seated contently beside his father, several Zoran guards standing at both sides, as the talented magician put on a grand display like no other._

 _The young prince was excited to witness the amazing performance; it was far more enjoyable than watching that rowdy swordsmen-tournament earlier, which served to him nothing more than a frightening reminder of his upcoming duties to soon begin training in the brutal way of combat himself._

 _Although he pitied the fact that his sister was prohibited from watching the incredible magic-show with everyone, he admittedly also found it somewhat more peaceful to be out of her company for awhile; she would surely ruin the moment with her grouchiness if she was present for it._

 _But the moment soon ruined itself..._

 _For his final trick, the magician had cast a dreaded shadow over the room. The paintings resonated. Screams of horror broke out... One coming from right beside the little prince._

 _He turned in a startle, looking to see what had his fellow Zoras so alarmed..._ _Only to be met by the most awful sight his innocent eyes had ever been laid upon..._

 _A Zoran guard had been impaled from behind. With eyes wide and mouth gaping, the corpse loomed lifelessly over the horrified prince as a blood-bathed blade protruded from its now-breathless chest._

 _A Darknut not present mere seconds ago -but bearing a perfect resemblance to the one that was previously depicted in the now-bare painting on the wall behind it- pulled its bloodied sword from the dead guard's back, letting the carcass drop before a bewildered Junior's feet. Jolting back in shock, the little Zora prince lost his footing and fell over on his rear._

 _The Zoran guards were ill-armed for combat at that moment. Most had left their weapons in their respective guest chambers with the rest of their possessions. The guard that was slain was one of few who had his spear in hand._

 _The murderous Darknut raised its blade for another kill... Its target being none other than the helpless Prince Zora De Bon VIII._

 _The blow landed not. Huso, a Zoran guard trained in magic to use his own fins as weapons, swiftly intercepted the attack with his steel-hard fins like shields. Amia, a Zora capable of bio-electricity, then seized the opening to tackle their foe from behind and discharged an electric shock to turn the Darknut's metal armor against it to her own advantage._

 _The iron-clad fiend collapsed upon the ground._ _Salmo, the swiftest of the Zora guards, then seized the dropped spear of his fallen ally, which he immediately used to_ _avenge the death of its master. The Darknut's body disintegrated into black smoke as the spearhead penetrated its face through the slim opening of its helm._

 _But that was only the beginning. Monsters already teemed throughout the entire castle. A medium-sized Gohma was quickly charging towards the royal Zoras, bloodlust raging in its single eye._

 _Only to crash into a sudden obstacle in the way._

 _A wall of water solid as steel had appeared around the Zoras, encasing them as a protective barrier. The prince turned in amazement to see his own father, King Zora De Bon VII, standing from his seat with his royal staff raised on high to project his magic and barricade his people from harm._ "Everyone! Brace yourselves for battle!" _he spoke authoritatively._ "Arm yourselves at once with whatever can be used as a weapon!"

 _Junior was baffled by the sight. He had always heard of his father's former exploits as a valiant warrior skilled in both combat and magic, but such tales were difficult to take seriously given how obese and feeble the Zora king had become since his retirement from the battlefield long before the prince was ever born. To actually see his father in action for the first time was like looking upon a different Zora entirely._

 _The Zora king wasted no time. He immediately sent Salmo and three others to rescue Princess Ruto from the dungeons and ordered that the Rod of Jabuni be returned to her. Prince Zora Jr was to be hastened to safety while the rest of the Zoras would remain with their king fighting alongside the Hyrulean Unit to defend the castle in its hour of need._

 _Unable to bear the thought of leaving anyone behind, Junior knelt beside the body of the Zora who was slain. Praying to Nayru, he began to cast his Healing Grace over the bleeding corpse in a desperate attempt to somehow revive the fallen guard._

"That won't do any good," _said the voice of Rufa, the royal attendant._ "It's too late for him now..!"

 _The little prince protested in tears;_ "But...I have to try..."

"I'm afraid Rufa is correct, my son," _said King Zora, his tone more serious than Junior had ever heard before._ "You must preserve your power for those who will soon need it rather than waste it on the dead. Now go with Huso and Amia to safety! You are the future of our people and must return alive to Zora's Domain..!"

 _The Gohma and several other monsters were slamming hard against the barrier. King Zora would not be able to hold it much longer._

"...With or without me."

 _These words filled the little prince with dread like he never knew._ "Wh-what..?"

"Listen well, my son," _the king continued, not taking his eyes off the enemies before him;_ "No matter what happens, I want you to stay strong and focus only on the path ahead instead of grieving over what has been left behind. You must trust in the goddesses to watch over you and never give in to despair... Now go!"

 _Unable to hold the watery barrier any longer, King Zora sent it suddenly upon the surrounding monsters as a crashing wave to push them back. Each of the Zoras immediately took cue to carry out their respective orders while the monsters were caught in surprise by the sudden turn; Salmo led his team to the dungeons while the others jumped the counterattack on their foes._

 _Before Junior could even react, he was taken away by Huso and Amia as they seized the first opening in the dazed monsters' forces and made haste for the castle's exit. Amia charged from the front wielding the sword from the fallen Darknut while Huso led the prince by the wrist, using only his magic-enhanced fins to defend against enemies as they pushed through the chaos._ _Looking over his shoulder, Junior could see his father standing off against the Gohma menace._

 _Although the obese Zora king's legs have grown feeble over the years and can barely support his excessive weight anymore, he bravely stood his ground and battled the fearsome beast with all his might and magic. Their attacks collided with full force._

 _But the scene rapidly faded into the distance behind the prince before he could see the outcome. He could only hear his father cry out, though whether it was a cry of aggression or of defeat, he could not tell..._

 _Pulled along by Huso and Amia, Junior prayed dearly that his father would come out alive; that the Hyrulean Unit would be victorious against this raid with minimal deaths or injuries to be counted; that he would never have to live to see something as dangerous and scary as that Gohma ever again._

 _But his hopes quickly proved to be in vain._

 _A queen-sized Gohma far bigger than the one his father was last seen fighting blocked the castle's exit. Swinging its massive arms, it toppled tables and sent soldiers flying in every direction. No one was getting through safely with such a deadly force in the way._

 _The three Zoras had no choice but to take their chances. They made a dash behind the rampaging monstrosity's back as it charged against the attacking soldiers. Junior tried to keep up as Huso pulled him along but this proved difficult for the child, causing him to trip._

 _The Gohma turned around. It came rushing back their way again flailing its bladed arms to cut down everything in its path._

 _And the Zoras were directly in that path._

 _Rather than getting out of the way to save himself, Huso quickly turned to lift the young prince and heaved him out of harm's way. Junior landed roughly but safely...though his rescuer was not so lucky; a mighty blow sent the Zora soldier flying across the room and smack into the stone wall._

 _Huso lay barely alive in the midst of many monsters ready to end him. His wounds severe, he was not going to make it without immediate treatment. Yet no treatment could be offered him in such a moment. But in spite of his great pain, he looked up and only urged the prince to press on;_ "Keep going..!"

 _Horrified, Junior wished to run to the wounded Zora's side and heal him, but Amia forbade it._ "There's no time to help him! His sacrifice will be in vain if you don't escape with your life!"

 _The little prince could only look back in horror as they left for dead the Zora who just sacrificed himself to save him. As Amia led him out the door, he could hear the giant Gohma still thrashing about behind them before finally crying out in pain as someone at last managed to pierce its eye with an arrow._

 _But it was still too late for Huso..._

 _Once outside, Amia dove into the moat with Junior and told him to keep quiet and stay hidden at the bottom until the danger passed. The little one was in tears. He feared for the lives of his loved ones, blamed himself for being unable to heal the dead, and he especially hated having just abandoned Huso to die even though he possessed the power to heal the latter of his fatal injuries._

 _Injuries that he never would have taken if not for stopping to save the incompetent prince._

 _Amia took a brief moment to comfort the weeping child, gently reminding him that stopping would have only resulted in the death of them both._ "It was his own choice to spend his life to protect yours. Now you must honor his sacrifice and live for the future... The future he willingly gave up his own life for you to have."

 _The battle still raged on. Amia was needed to help the others in the castle clear out to safety, yet she stayed just a minute longer to hold the traumatized prince and share some final words to ease him however much she could;_

"Remember what your father said to you; he wanted you to stay strong and focus only on the path ahead instead of grieving over what's been left behind... This could be his last wish for you -Huso's wish, too- and now it's up to you to fulfill it...and that means to keep moving forward and not let yourself be held back by losses, no matter how grave."

 _Junior found just a little security in her words. Once he was able to calm down sufficiently enough, Amia returned to the battle for Hyrule Castle with the promise that she would do whatever she could to help his father make it out alive. Junior himself promised in turn to carry out his father's last wish and stay strong no matter what happens._

 _With Amia gone, the prince was left completely alone in the moat with nothing but the horrifying sounds of people screaming on the lands above to keep him company as he waited silently for someone to come for him._

 _At last, Ruto found him. She was wounded and bleeding, but healing her was no trouble for him. Disturbingly, however, she knew nothing of the whereabouts of the other Zoras. The two continued to wait out the danger together._

 _No word came..._

 _At least not until a green-garbed Hylian survivor happened upon them._

...And now here Junior lies in that generous Hylian's house, ever grateful that the goddesses would deliver him and his sister into such dependable care. Though Ruto may be mistrusting yet of Link, Junior believes wholeheartedly that their meeting with this Hylian was nothing short of a godsend.

Though a small flame of hope for the future now burns ahead, the little prince still cannot help but look back to the haunting losses behind him. Gazing upon the glimpse of Hyrule Castle in the distance fills him with unrelenting sorrow and dread.

"Father..." he whispers forlornly. "I don't know if you're still alive or not...but I'm trying my hardest to stay strong like you asked me to... I realize the goddesses are watching over us like you said they would -they've even sent us plenty of help- so I'm going to keep moving forward and try to get back home alive like you wanted...but I'm still really scared... If you're still alive in there somewhere, I hope we can find a way to free you and everyone somehow... But if you're not... If it's too late and you've already joined Mom and everyone else we've lost by now..."

Tears begin to form in the little one's eyes again. After a brief pause and pained sob, he finishes his words;

"...Please watch over us, too."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I honestly didn't expect this flashback to take up an entire chapter, but I think it turned out okay. Now here's a bit of useless trivia; the names of each of the Zoras who are original to this story are based on the scientific name of some kind of fish;**

 **Amia is named after the Bowfin ( _Amia calva),_ Huso is named after the endangered Baluga fish _(Huso huso),_ 'Salmo' is the genus that multiple species of salmon belong to, and Rufa gets his name from the Velvet Whalefish _(Barbourisia rufa)._**


	79. 8-7 A Grandmother's Tears

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 8: The Last Visit Home_

 **Chapter 7** **  
** _A Grandmother's Tears_

Her footsteps tread quietly through the old farmhouse... or at least as quietly as the creaky floor will allow.

 _*Creak...creak...creak...*_

The noise makes an annoying giveaway to her location on this 'dangerous mission' she must undergo, but little can be done to silence it. The Scroll of Insight in hand and Rod of Jabuni tucked under her arm in case anything should go wrong, Princess Ruto does her best to abide the constant creaking that accompanies her every step and remains alert in her search for this deadly beast known as a 'cat' which she must scan.

"Here, kitty, kitty..." whispers the wary princess, eyeing every dark corner for danger. "Just need a quick 'cat-scan' here... There's no need for either of us to get violent... So just come on out from wherever you're hiding and we can get this over with nice and easy... But don't you dare come near me..!"

With garlic acquired from the kitchen strung around her neck to prevent the 'vampiric beast' from coming too close to her when she finds it, she continues to tiptoe cautiously through the darkness. Not long into her search, something disturbingly fuzzy soon brushes against her fin...

 _The cat is attacking..!_

Her life imminently threatened, she reacts instantly with a startled yelp and her instinctive warrior-reflexes; swiftly turning around and delivering a hasty blow to knock her attacker away before it can deliver its lethal bite to poison her blood.

 _*Crash!*_

...Only to find herself staring down at the shattered pieces of a now-broken lamp. Its spilled oil spreads across the floor. _It's amazing just how much the tassels on a lampshade can feel exactly like the fur of a bloodthirsty cat trying to attack you in the dark..._

"(Um... Whoops...)" she thinks to herself. "(Ah, well... That old lady can clean it up in the morning. ...Wait a second! Wasn't she sleeping down here, come to think of it?)"

The princess turns sheepishly to the chair which Link's grandmother Linda was reportedly spending the night in while the royal Zoras borrow her bed, expecting to be met with a judgmental scowl for having disrupted the old woman's sleep and broken her property. Much to Ruto's surprise, however, the chair is completely empty. She is the only person in the room to have heard the ruckus she caused.

"( _Whew!_ No witnesses... I guess I'm off the hook,)" she sighs with relief. "(But if she isn't here like she said she'd be...then where _is_ she?)"

The Zora princess takes another look around the house, now observing for the absent woman that should have been here. Fearing that she and her brother are being double-crossed by their Hylian hosts, she sets the Scroll of Insight to search for Hylians in the nearby area. As should be expected, it locates the presence of one such Hylian in Link's bedroom upstairs. _Good to know at least one of them is where he should be..._ The other, however, is not in the house at all. The aura signal is coming from...

... _Outside?_

Finding the front door left unlocked, she quietly steps out to investigate. _What sinister deed is this shady Hylian secretly doing behind her back?_ She need not look far, for seated out the front porch is the mysterious old woman in her rocker with the cat upon her lap. Her back currently turned to the house, she has yet to notice Ruto's presence.

"(Well, _that's_ an anticlimactic discovery...)" the princess silently sighs to herself, somewhat disappointed. "(I was expecting to find something more dastardly taking place... Ah, well. At least I know she's not out turning us over to the Devastati or anything. But... _Yeesh!_ Why would you let that hairy vermin sit on your lap like that?! I guess one fleabag deserves another! Anyway, I found what I'm looking for. I'll just scan the vile thing and head back in before either one of these filthy creatures even realizes I was ever out here...)"

The cat is successfully scanned, restoring its lost entry to the scroll's compendium. The stealthy Zora intends to withdraw from the scene while still unnoticed but stops in her tracks at the faint sound of a sob. Returning her attention back to the elderly Hylian, she notices tears streaming down the woman's wrinkled face.

 _She's...crying..?_

The sight of these tears softens Ruto's cold gaze and makes her wonder what is wrong. "(Did the cat bite her, maybe..?)" she thinks to herself. "(I guess some people can only learn the hard way...)"

Despite her attempts to convince herself of the cause of this aged Hylian's weeping being something merely trivial, her heart knows the suffering she sees is very real. A tinge of compassion stirring reluctantly within her, she can look away not.

The elderly woman takes notice of the Zora's lingering presence. "Oh..! Good evening, Princess..." she says as she quickly tries to dry her tears, hoping to spare Ruto from having to see them. "Are you having trouble sleeping, Dear..?"

"Well..." says Ruto hesitantly. "I've had better nights..."

Although normally one to quickly state her mind without thinking twice, the Zora princess finds herself inexplicably not wanting to bother this old woman with her usual griping. She is unsure why, but for once she feels as if her own complaints may actually be trivial in comparison to whatever it is this woman was crying about.

"I can't blame you for feeling restless..." Grandmother Linda sympathizes. "Especially after all you're going through. You've had a rough day, and still a long journey ahead of you tomorrow... It must be worrisome."

Ruto finds herself unsure of what to say. She has decided not to trouble this stressed, old woman with her complaints.

...But what else _can_ she say if she is not complaining?

Grandmother Linda observes Ruto curiously. "If I may ask, Princess... Is there...um...a reason you seem to be wearing... _garlic_...around your neck..?"

Ruto is pulled out of her thoughts. "Hm? Oh..!" Embarrassed to explain herself, she quickly tears off the said garlic she was using as 'vampire repellent' against the cat and casts it aside. She no longer has need of it now, anyway. "N-nothing..! Just...forget I was even out here! I'm going to head back to bed now..."

The flustered princess turns to leave in haste, eager to put this awkward scene behind her. When suddenly...

 _*BOOM..!*_

A sound much like that of a thunderclap echoes violently across the land, though there is not a single thundercloud in the sky. A light flashes from Castle Town in the distance, yet it appears not to be lightning at all; not only did it appear _after_ the 'thunder' sounded instead of before, but it also rises skyward from the town below rather than originating from the firmament as lightning should.

"Whoa! What in the world..?!" Ruto rushes to the porch's railing for a closer look at the phenomenon. It has passed as quickly as it came.

"Goodness! What was that?!" gasps Grandmother Linda. "It there a storm coming?" As if on cue, a startled Storm abruptly leaps down from her lap to take cover. "_Or...a Storm leaving..?" the old woman adds, looking down at her now-empty lap.

Ruto's gaze remains fixed on the castle encased in darkness, which remains visible in the distance ahead even from here. "That's a storm brewing alright..." hisses she. "But not a thunderstorm. That Devastati is up to something in town this very minute..."

The elderly woman sits in stunned silence. After a momentary pause, she lets out a sigh. "I suppose life is going to be much more difficult than any of us has ever known it before from today on..." she says grimly. "I don't know what's going to become of Castle Town or of this farm now that this Devastati lot has taken control of everything, but I suppose there's nothing that can be done about it now other than obeying their orders in hopes of being allowed to live... I'll admit; I'm quite frightened. Especially now that my Link will have to leave me... It's going to be hard to manage without him. He's the only family I've had ever since I lost my husband..."

Ruto remains quiet, only leaning against the porch railing and staring off into the distance as Link's grandmother speaks. She does feel pity for this old woman, but she wishes not to concern herself with the problems of humans or commoners. These sorts of things are going to happen, but they have nothing to do with a Zora princess like herself.

"I'm sure it must be very hard for you, as well..." continues the old woman with empathy. "Being so far from home in an environment that's just been taken over by monsters; your father and everyone else you came with trapped in the castle with no escape; your little brother's been injured; and now you have to make it home and run Zora's Domain on your own as its sudden new ruler... That's all a lot for anyone to have to go through, especially for someone so young. No one would blame you for feeling frightened..."

"I'm not frightened," says Ruto adamantly as she continues to stare into the distance, a look of determination filling her violet eyes. "Things may be tough, but so am I... It will take far more than some stupid monsters to make this Zora know fear!"

No sooner than she finishes her words, the 'fearless' Zora jolts back in alarm at the sight of Storm sniffing her. _Yikes..!_

Grandmother Linda suddenly begins to chuckle.

"What?" asks Ruto, turning her head to the old woman with a huff.

"Oh, nothing..." says Linda. "It's just that you remind me so much of my dear Lina."

" _Lina_..?" Ruto questions...while subtly scooting away from the curious cat sniffing her.

"My departed daughter," explains Link's grandmother. "Link is the spitting image of her. She was a lot like you, especially back when she was your age."

This seems at odds to Ruto. "(What is this old woman talking about?)" she thinks to herself. "(This Lina would have been a _Hylian_ and a _commoner;_ I'm a _Zora_ and a _princess_! How could we be _anything_ alike?!)"

She hastily jolts back again as Storm stares up to her with curiosity. Although she remains the strangest-looking 'human' he has ever seen, he cannot help but be drawn to her deliciously piscine scent. _Could she be carrying fishy-treats?_

Not even noticing Ruto's silent struggle for personal space from the cat beside her, the elderly woman, with eyes raised skyward in thought, continues to reminisce of her departed daughter; "She was always so strong-willed, that girl... She would never give up or accept defeat for the life of her. She feared nothing, and her adamance knew no bounds. She could often be troublesome, to tell the truth, especially with her strong defiance. I swear, the more you'd tell that girl not to do something, the more it filled her with the desire to do it, and the more you asked her to do something, the more unwilling she was to do it! But I suppose nobody's perfect..."

Ruto pays only half-attention to the tale. She is rather occupied trying frantically to shoo away the curious cat who continues to sniff her in hopeful search of whatever 'fish-snacks' it is that she seems to smell of. Falling backwards on her bottom, the paranoid Zora holds up a wooden cross in a desperate attempt to keep this 'vampire menace' from coming any closer.

"She was also very beautiful," the elderly woman continues, still to deep in her memories to notice the silly squabble behind her; "She always had so many admirers asking to court her. But of course, most of them were very shallow and not exactly the ideal match you would want for your daughter. Although it was rather difficult to get her to see that for herself... She had long dreamed of marrying a heroic knight or prince, much like most other young girls tend to do, and would often bring home potential suitors that were strong, confident, handsome, and even wealthy young men, but they only saw her for her outward beauty and desired her as more of a possession than a person..."

The friendly cat seats himself comfortably on Ruto's lap, hoping for a peaceful petting and possibly a tasty fishy-treat or two.

Ruto will have none of it. Without thinking twice, the panicked Zora heaves the invading cat over the porch's railing and into the garden. He gives her a dirty look back, deeming her to be a total idiot, but decides to leave her be and just contend himself where he is with a decent grooming. _Stupid blue-human doesn't even know how to pet a cat properly!_

Still oblivious, Grandmother Linda resumes reminiscing her late daughter's tale without interruption; "My husband would always shoo them away, of course, which she wasn't too happy about. It was one of our most common fights with her. And it was a long time before she finally came to realize and appreciate just how much heartbreak and pain her father had saved her by being so protective as he was. She would often try to sneak out to continue seeing those boys in secret...until they proved themselves to be everything we had tried to warn her that they were..."

Finally left alone by the cat, Ruto heaves a sigh of relief and seats herself in the other chair to calm her racing heart. She begins to pay a little more attention now to the elderly woman's story...if only on account of having nothing better to do at the moment.

Grandmother Linda continues her story, having never noticed Ruto's struggle with Storm at all;

"Eventually, a young man named Finch from a distant town came along and was in need of work. My husband deemed him honest and reliable, so he hired him to work at our farm for awhile. He was the quiet sort, and not exactly the strongest hand around, but he was incredibly kind and hard-working. We had never met such a genuinely caring and selfless boy as him, and it wasn't long before my husband and I both deemed him a suitable match for our Lina. So instead of the usual case where a young man would come to us asking to court our daughter, it was the other way around; we had asked _him_ if he would have her!

"Lina had other thoughts, however. She did like Finch, but didn't find him appealing enough to want him as her husband... Although I do believe it was mostly just out of bias that we had chosen him for her instead of letting her get together with one of the many shallow suitors that she had chosen for herself; she always did hate the idea of someone else making a decision for her...

"To make things worse, though, she was still blindly infatuated with another man at the time; one who was a strong and fearless warrior, but the only love that her father and I had seen in his heart was clearly for himself, and so we had already told her not to see him. It took some time, but we eventually did convince her to accept Finch as her husband. It was his sincere kindness that won her over."

 _Sincere kindness..._

These words stand out to the listening Zora. _Does such a thing really exist in this manipulative world?_

She herself has had to endure many unwanted suitors looking to court her, but their 'kindness' has been far from sincere. As far as Ruto is concerned, all 'kindness' is merely an act to make a good impression; there is no such thing as _'sincere kindness'..._

Especially not in men!

Still, the mentioning of such a trait in a real woman's suitor -who is a _Hylian,_ on top of it; the most bigoted species in all Hyrule!- does rouse some curiosity. The skeptical Zora finds herself growing somewhat interested in the story...if only to hear how it turns out.

"So... Were they happy together..?" asks she.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! ...And sorry about the abrupt ending. Even back in the original edition of this story, this was easily one of the longest scenes, but now that I've added so much extra comedy to it, it ended up much too long for a single chapter and so I had to split it into a two-parter. I'll try to get the second half out soon...which ends much differently than it did back in the original edition... ;)**


	80. 8-8 Like Father, Like Son

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 8: The Last Visit Home_

 **Chapter 8** **  
** _Like Father, Like Son_

"So... Were they happy together..?" asks Ruto, growing somewhat interested in the aged Hylian's story of her daughter and son-in-law.

"Well, they did have their share of difficulties to start..." admits Grandmother Linda. "Lina still would have still preferred her husband to be a knight of honor rather than a humble farmer, so Finch promised to take up swordsmanship and train to become a knight just for her. But unfortunately, not being one of the physically strongest of men, he wasn't able to keep up very well with his fellow swordsmen. In just a few months into it, he ended up suffering a pretty serious injury in a training accident that made walking difficult, which caused him to have to give up swordsmanship entirely. Not only was he unable to fulfill his promise that he made to Lina, but they were also barren for quite a long time... Which was possibly also due to poor Finch's injury as well..."

Ruto is confused by this connection. "Huh? What do you mean? How's an injury supposed to interfere with his ability to_?" While still speaking, the disturbing realization dawns on her. "... _OH!_ "

 _The poor guy took a low blow..._

"Sorry..." the old woman sheepishly apologizes, realizing what uncomfortable information she had just revealed. "I suppose you didn't need to know that..."

"That little detail could've gone unmentioned, yes..." says Ruto awkwardly.

"Well, anyway..." says Grandmother Linda, clearing her throat and getting back to the original subject; "It wasn't Finch's fault, but being denied the honor of being married to a revered knight _and_ seemingly the honor of being a mother as well was a great disappointment to Lina, and she began to take it out on _him_ for awhile..."

The aged Hylian begins to grimace a little as she continues to tell Ruto the story. Clearly the memories that she is recalling are hurtful to her.

"She complained about it for some time," she continues; "And often resented her father and I for ' _forcing'_ her into the marriage, when in truth; while we did strongly _recommend_ the arrangement, it was still a choice that we had allowed her to make freely whether she would go through with or not, and she had willingly accepted in the end. She would often complain to Finch when she was in a bad mood; comparing him negatively to the many more appealing men that were after her; reminding him that the only reason she married him was because her father had chased away all of the would-be suitors that she had chosen for herself... Yet no matter what she ever said or did to him, Finch always remained true to her and eager to forgive."

A smile now begins to return to the old woman's face as she continues;

"I can't deny that Lina did have her share of faults that could lead her to be insensitive at times... but we still loved her, and she did mature greatly in the end. In time, she got over her fantasy and accepted Finch for who he was. Her sense of judgment did improve over time, and she came to realize eventually what trouble-makers those other men she was previously interested in really were, and that none of them would have ever even _considered_ being anywhere near as faithful to her as Finch was.

"By the time Link was finally born, she had openly said so herself that she appreciated how protective her father had been over her; that she came to see for herself all the good that we saw in Finch and the selfishness that we had seen in the many other would-be suitors she was once blindly infatuated with, and she said that she wouldn't trade Finch for any other man in the world...not even for a king. And these weren't just empty words either; Finch had died tragically when Link was still under three years old, and Lina had sworn then that no one could ever take his place and that she would never remarry... She even refused the very man whom she had been previously infatuated with when he sought to pursue her again now that she was a widow!

"Even though she could be such a handful, Lina still always had a good-side to her that Finch was able to draw out and bring the best out of her. She had grown into a woman of strong loyalty and moral courage by the time of her own passing less than a year after her husband's. That strong will of hers may have caused a lot of difficult stubbornness in her youth, but it was that very spirit in her that also prompted her to face her faults and become a better person. I couldn't have been more proud of what a fine woman she became in the end."

Grandmother Linda gives Ruto a fond look before continuing further; "Although I don't know very much about you, I can see very much of that same spirit in your own eyes," she says to the Zora with a warm smile.

Ruto looks to her with slight surprise. She is still not entirely convinced that royalty and commoners, nor Zoras and Hylians, could truly be so much alike.

But she is beginning to comprehend it.

"I believe that you are capable of great things," continues the elderly woman. "You have that unwavering spirit of determination to keep going and not let any sort of pressure stop you from doing as you set your mind on. With the right mindset, that strong will can take you far. You could even grow into the sort of savior that Hyrule so desperately needs in times like these. But at the same time, that very spirit could also be your downfall if misplaced; just as it nearly was for my Lina... Such a powerful spirit can be both a strength and a weakness; both a blessing and a curse. _Great potential comes with great responsibility_ , as my husband used to say."

Ruto looks to her silently. The indignant attitude she has felt towards this human peasant fading by the minute, she is beginning to find the aged widow surprisingly inspiring somehow. She also takes mental note of the names passed down in this Hylian family; "( _Linda... Lina... Link..?_ Hm. I think I detect a pattern here...)"

The young Zora has found herself enjoying the conversation more than she could have expected. She begins to wonder if any of the other Hylians and commoners whom she had avoided at Zelda's party earlier might have also had such interesting stories to tell as this old widow if only she had taken a moment to interact with them. A part of her would very much like to contribute more to this current conversation, yet she still cannot bring herself to openly chat with a Hylian peasant as if they were equals.

Feeling torn between conflicting desires, she attempts to distract herself from these thoughts by turning her attention towards the wooden wind-chimes hanging near her. They appear to be quite the work of art and don a surprisingly intricate design. _How do these peasants afford all these hand-carved ornaments around their house, anyway?_

"Aren't those nice?" asks Grandmother Linda. "Link made them for me himself."

Ruto turns to the old woman with shock. " _Link_ made these?!" The chimes are so well-crafted that she never imagined that they could possibly be the work of an amateur.

"Yes, he's quite the craftsman, don't you think?" says Link's grandmother proudly. "He's always been quite gifted."

She begins to tell Ruto many things about Link; about his self-taught skills of carpentry and wood-carving; how made his own bow and quiver himself at the age of fourteen; how reliable he is and often volunteers to selflessly take extra work upon himself to spare someone else a burden; how good he is with animals and understanding both their health and feelings alike; how he had started training himself at swordsmanship since he was a child in hopes of becoming a knight in his departed father's place; how he had recently taken his training under the legendary swordsman Sir Pent and relentlessly pushed himself to improve in spite of the constant ridicule he often received from his peers.

Ruto had never thought much of Link, but she begins to find herself feeling an increasing sense of respect for the Hylian boy the more she hears about him. Listening intently to the elderly woman's stories, the young Zora has momentarily forgotten all about her dislike of Hylians and commoners and fails to even notice the passing time.

...Nor the purring cat that has contently seated himself upon her lap; she has absent-mindedly been petting Storm for some time now without realizing it.

"Please be kind to my Link on your trip," continues Grandmother Linda. "He's all I have left, and although it does pain me greatly to see him have to leave me, I understand that you and Hyrule need him even more than I do right now."

The elderly woman heaves a sigh of both regret and acceptance at the thought of her grandson's departure. She looks off to the side in contemplation as she continues speaking;

"He's a good boy; the most selfless and hard-working person you could imagine. You can rest assured that you'll be under good care as long as you have him around. You couldn't have picked a more trustworthy swordsman to escort you in all of Castle Town, if I do say so myself. He may not be very confident in himself, but that doesn't mean he's incompetent or that he won't give his all. He's been training his skills as a swordsman for so many years now, constantly pushing himself to get better and better. Yet no matter how good he gets, he always feels as if it's never enough, and so he pushes himself even harder still...

"Those other boys he's trained with were often hard on him, constantly calling him a ' _wimp'_ or a ' _coward'..._ And I'm afraid that after all the pressure and ridicule he's gotten from them, he has come to believe it himself... But I've always believed that that he's much stronger than they give him credit for, and I often try to reassure him of this, but he seems to only take it as a grain of salt and continues to doubt himself... But today, I had the chance to see his competence with my own eyes; not only did he find the courage to fight back against those Devastati forces in the castle, but he also managed to surpass even my expectations with just how good he is! And I certainly didn't expect little of him..!

"Finch was also very much like that; he was always so shy and didn't seem like much in the eyes of most people, but he could always be counted on when called upon and never failed to surprise you with his competence. And yet, for as dependable as he was, he always thought nothing of himself. I tell you; Link and Finch are so much alike that sometimes...it's almost as if..."

She does not finish that sentence. She appears to have become lost in her memories, too deep in thought to remember the conversation she is in the middle of.

"...As if _what?_ " asks Ruto, growing curious to hear more.

"Huh? Oh..!" responds the elderly woman, snapping out of her thoughts. "It's nothing... Just getting lost in my memories for a moment there..."

Ruto gazes upon her with silent concern; unspoken empathy filling her violet eyes. In spite of her strong dislike for Hylians, she finds this one impossible to hate and wishes not the slightest bit of suffering upon her.

But suffering she detects. It is far too evident in her eyes. The young Zora is filed with compassion that she cannot voice.

Grandmother Linda sighs in grief and continues her story, now in a more painful tone;

"It was pretty hard for me, too, when Finch died, you know... Not just as a mother feeling for her daughter who lost a husband, but also as a mother-in-law who lost a beloved son-in-law... We may not share blood, but Finch was very much like a true son to me as well... He even told me himself _before_ he married Lina, back when he was only a hired hand at the farm, that he thought of me as a second mother... His death was a tragic blow to all of us... And not long after that, while we were still only just beginning to come to cope with the loss we all suffered, my dearest Lina joined him in death, leaving me and my husband with only Link... And then I lost my own husband in time as well...and so Link has had to be deprived of most of the joys of childhood in order to help me keep the farm going enough for us to live... We had to sell most of our land and livestock, which was especially difficult for him, since he always loved the animals so much and hated to part with any of them, but we had no choice; everything was just too much for only the two of us to manage on our own... I honestly don't think I could have managed this long without his constant help and dedication, but I suppose I'll have to learn from now on..."

Ruto's cold heart sinks and shatters. She has come to realize at last just what a sacrifice Link has made upon fighting back against the Devastati to protect her when she had picked that pointless fight against their forces by the castle's moat, and why he would have preferred to surrender to them instead of fight on to the end...

He knew that his resistance would only bring disaster upon his own grandmother. He even tried to tell the stubborn Zora this for himself, but she listened not. By dragging him into her little rebellion, she has doomed this poor widow to fend entirely for herself in the darkest days of her life. Without her beloved grandson around to care for her, the next time Grandmother Linda should fall ill or find herself behind in her work will almost surely be the end of her.

All because of Ruto's stubborn thirst for vengeance against the Devastati...

The shaken Zora's eyes close tight to withhold her guilty tears. She cuddles Storm closer for comfort as she reflects with shame upon her carelessness and the price it has cost others.

...Which brings her to the realization that she has even had this cat sitting upon her lap in the first place, prompting her to hastily shove him off. _How long has THAT been there?!_

The moment is interrupted by a sudden howl echoing through the night;

" _AWOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!"_

Ruto jolts to her feet. Grandmother Linda merely looks off into the distance without much concern. "Hm? Sounds like the coyotes are out hunting..." says the unsuspecting Hylian. "Don't worry. They don't come near people. I believe it's time to bring the cat in, though."

The alert Zora knows better. "That's not the howl of any mere coyote..." she says sternly, looking down at the Scroll of Insight and confirming the worst; "Those are _Wolfos!_ And they're heading right this way..!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! And now we come to the main action of this episode. The following chapters will focus on a new battle that was not present in the original edition of this story, which will also provide a bit more character growth in the process. Anyway, thank you to all of you who have been continuing to read and review! I might not be able to respond to all reviews, but I do read and appreciate them. :)**


	81. 8-9 A Dangerous Plan

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 8: The Last Visit Home_

 **Chapter 9** **  
** _A Dangerous Plan_

"Wolfos..?!" the aged Hylian is shook with fear. She can only hope that the Zora princess before her is mistaken. "Are you certain? How can you be sure..?"

"There's no time to explain!" says Ruto, counting the many Wolfos markers displayed on the Scroll of Insight. "Just believe me when I say they are not far off and that there are about...eight..? No. ... _Nine_ of them headed straight here! We have mere minutes before we're found out and surrounded!"

Grandmother Linda is bewildered. "Oh my goodness..! I can't say I comprehend how you are able to predict any of this but I suppose now isn't the time to ask. If what you say is true, then we need to wake the boys right away!" The elderly Hylian quickly rises to her feet—or at least as 'quickly' as her aged body will allow. "If the three of you leave now, you may be able to avoid the monsters before they get here," says she, hastily waddling her way back into the house and taking the cat in with her. "Don't worry; I won't let them find out about you. Just grab your things and get out on the road while you still can!"

Ruto is surprised that a woman so old and weak would still be so quick to show such initiative leadership and in such a sudden notice of danger. Most noblewomen she has ever known would only panic or even faint in times like this, yet the first reaction of this vulnerable widow -in spite of her own helplessness to defend herself in any way- is to immediately jump into action and do whatever little she can to get any sort of handle on the situation that can be mustered.

However, the young Zora is hesitant to do as suggested and flee. It is true that departing now with her companions before the Devastati's monsters arrive would be their best chance at successfully escaping to return to Zora's Domain with their lives...

But then what is to become of this poor woman who helped them?

Run as they may, there is no escaping a Wolfos's acute sense of smell. Those lupine warriors have no doubt already detected the out-of-place scent of Zora footsteps by now, which will surely lead them straight here to this unfortunate farmhouse. The monsters will then learn of Grandmother Linda's hospitality towards the fleeing Zoras whether she admits to it or not -their obvious scent that has already been left within her home is an undeniable giveaway of the Zoras' recent presence here- and the Devastati will NOT be tolerant towards anyone who has helped their enemies escape.

Unfortunately, taking the elderly woman along would do no good either. The cursed Seal of Subjection that has already been seared into into her flesh would only activate and strike her dead once they step too far from Devastati territory without authentication. Grandmother Linda is doomed to die whether she comes or stays...

All because of Ruto dragging Link into her vengeful assault against the Devastati's forces that only caused unnecessary commotion.

The aged Hylian pauses in her tracks upon noticing the young Zora still standing in place instead of following her indoors. "Er_ Princess..?" asks she, puzzled. "Don't you think you should hurry..?"

Ruto stands staring into the distance. "...Wake the boys and tell them to go without delay," she commands sternly after a pause, not turning to face the old woman. "I'll catch up with them down the road."

"P-pardon..?!" says a shocked Grandmother Linda. "You_ Aren't you going with them..?!"

The young Zora shakes her head. "Those Wolfos are no doubt following my Zora scent," she explains disconsolately, her gaze still far off into the night. "No matter how far we run, they'll just continue to track us every step of the way...and brutally punish anyone who would offer us even a moment's refuge. Nowhere on the road is safe as long as those bloodthirsty beasts remain on our trail..."

She turns at last to face the aged Hylian behind her; a look of determination raging in her violet eyes.

"...Which is precisely why I need to head out separately to throw them off! Since the Wolfos seem to be following my scent, I should be able to lure them the wrong way so that the boys can make a clean escape. It's the only way out of here without being trailed!"

Grandmother Linda's heart sinks deeply to hear this plan. She knows not what to say. "You don't mean_?"

"In the meantime, just tell Link to be sure to carry Junior on his back like he did on the way here until they're at least a mile out," continues Ruto, waiting not for an objection. "The conspicuous scent of a Zora's footsteps all the way out here will surely draw unwanted attention, but the common smell of some Hylian's boots is generic enough that the Wolfos shouldn't be able to single it out as the one they're hunting."

"You can't be serious about this plan..!" says a worried Grandmother Linda. "You really intend to use yourself as live bait against_ how many did you say there were? _ _NINE_ Wolfos?! They'll have you for dinner!"

Ruto merely smirks. "Don't worry about me. I am far more cunning than you might think," she says confidently. "I can easily outwit a few furbrains and then catch up with the boys later down the road!"

The old woman attempts to object; "But_!"

"Trust me; I can handle this," interrupts Ruto, a confidant smirk still upon her face. "Besides... I've had enough of being hunted by these Devastati creeps today—I think it's high time I turned the tables and bring the hunt to _them_ instead!"

Before Grandmother Linda can say anything in response, another howl echoes through the night—now sounding closer than before;

" _AWOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!"_

"But...in case anything _does_ go wrong..." Ruto continues, her confident smirk now faded and replaced with a more sober and serious countenance as her eyes trail off into the distance again; "Tell the boys not to delay if I should fail to catch up with them... Tell your grandson...that I'm counting on him to bring my brother home safely... And so he had better not let me down!"

Waiting not for another word to be spoken, the determined Zora sprints down from the porch with the Rod of Jabuni in hand. Grandmother Linda calls out to her, trying to stop her from running straight into the danger ahead; "Princess! Stop! You're about to_!"

But it is too late...

 _*Bonk!*_

"OW!"

"_Step on the farming hoe..." finishes the old woman, wincing to see the item Link had picked up for Talon spring up beneath the Zora's foot and hit her in the face. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine..." grunts Ruto, rubbing her face in pain and embarrassment. "Now hurry on in and wake the boys already while I go lure the Wolfos away!"

"But Princess, you can't go through with this plan..!" insists Grandmother Linda. "You're going to get killed!"

"Don't bother trying to stop me," says Ruto, not looking the old woman in the eye. "This is my fight...and I _am_ going to fight it." Without another word, nor another glance, she takes off running into the night.

"Princess! Wait_!" calls Grandmother Linda yet again, only for her concerned protests to fall on deaf ears. _There is no stopping this determined Zora._ The aged Hylian hastens back indoors to awaken her grandson and their remaining guest to leave before the monsters soon arrive and find them. She pauses only briefly for one last look into the darkness where Ruto disappeared into and heaves a reluctant sigh to herself. "She really is just like Lina..."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! ...And I apologize for not updating for so long. _(I can't believe it's actually been almost a month since my last upload! Am I slacking or what?!)_ I've had a real bad case of Writer's Block with deciding how to script this final conversation between Ruto and Link's grandmother. In the meantime, I ended up thinking of new ways for the upcoming battle to go, which I now think should be an "episode" of its own, so there's been a last-minute change of plans for these next upcoming chapters.**

 **On that note: you may have also noticed that I have changed the title of this 8th episode. Since the Wolfos don't really come in until the very end, I decided that _"Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolfos?"_ wasn't a very fitting title at all** **—especially now that the actual battle against the said Wolfos is going to be made into a separate episode of its own. But anyway, I already have the following chapter about 30% complete or so, and so the next upload should be within a much more reasonable time. ^_^'**


	82. 8-10 Turning the Hunt

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 8: The Last Visit Home_

 **Chapter 10** **  
** _Turning the Hunt_

Her eyes upon the Scroll of Insight watching her opponents' movements through the area, Ruto stealthily sprints through the night to intercept the approaching beasts before they reach the farmhouse. She knows the odds are not in her favor, but her actions earlier have caused the poor widow behind her more than enough loss already—she cannot bear to endanger her any further.

And if taking such an extreme risk as this is what it takes to keep these Wolfos from finding and killing the kind woman who helped the royal Zoras escape: so be it.

Having put enough distance between herself and the farmhouse behind her, she stops her sprint to catch her breath. The monsters are getting closer. Ruto eyes her surroundings as she deciphers her best plan of attack. "(Let's see... If I take a turn down a false route now and then backtrack a little, I should be able to fool them into following my scent in the wrong direction safely away from the farmhouse...)" she plots to herself. "(Better yet; if I loop around a little and cross my own path in several different areas, my scent trail will be branched out in so many ways that they'll have to split up to track me! Then I can just pick them off one or two at a time!)"

The devious Zora proceeds to dash around the open fields in various directions to mislead her pursuers. A crisscrossing path of Zora footsteps branching in multiple paths is swiftly created, detectable only to a highly-sensitive nose like that of a Wolfos. Any such beast trailing her scent is sure to be confused as to which path she has really taken.

Time is short, however, as the markers indicating the monsters' presence on the scroll are drawing nearer by the second. The blank map unfortunately makes it difficult to decipher exactly where she or they are in the area, leaving Ruto to guess just how close her enemies really are from her. She can only hope she still has a sufficient amount of time left to keep spreading her misleading scent trail to a truly effective degree before they reach her.

The sound of agitated snarling coming from the distance ahead unfortunately indicates that this is not the case. _Those Wolfos sound quite eager!_ Ruto swiftly withdraws to the shadows behind a tree before being seen. Crouching out of sight, she observes the monsters' positions on the Scroll of Insight while listening closely to their interactions. Her cue to attack begins once they (hopefully!) split up upon finding the many deceiving forks she created in the path of her scent.

Curiously, however, as the Wolfos run by her hiding place in a hurry, she hears the sound of... _taunting_..?

"Ha! You mutts will have to move a _lot_ faster than that if you want to catch me!"

A frustrated Wolfos is heard barking orders; "Would somebody just _hit_ the flying pest already?! I'm sick of this!"

The arrogant voice continues to taunt; "What? You're tired already? I could dodge your sorry attacks all night!"

 _That voice..._ Ruto is quick to recognize it. She quietly peers out from her hiding place for a better look at the ongoing commotion and spots a pack of Wolfos pursuing a bird flapping through the night, which then lands a distance out of the beasts' reach before shape-shifting into a young man.

A hooded young man whom she recognizes all too well...

 _LARK..?!_

And Lark it is. As typical of his arrogant and trouble-making personality, the mischievous youth appears to be toying with the monsters for sheer amusement; deliberately agitating them with taunts and insults as they struggle in vein trying to catch him—only for him to slip from reach each time they come close. His ability to effortlessly change from human to bird and back renders him nearly impossible for his flightless opponents to get hold of.

 _Sheesh! He flirts with danger as obnoxiously as he flirts with women!_

Nine agitated Wolfos are on his trail, though their efforts to seize him are fruitless. Their leader—a grey Wolfos bearing upon his right-shoulder the silver emblem of a Devastati Elite—is armed with an icy battle-ax and clad in light mail. Like Huntress, his superior, he speaks with a vernacular fully intact. "I swear; when I get my claws on this punk, I'm ripping both his arms off!" snarls the frustrated elite.

"Oh, at this rate; I highly doubt that's going to happen, dog-breath!" Lark continues to taunt as he perches upon the bough of a tree. "I've graciously allowed you to stay on my tail for, like, _half an hour_ now and you _still_ can't come close!"

Outraged, the Elite Wolfos channels all energy through his frigid ax and hurls it into the tree after the insolent shape-shifter with tremendous force. The unleashed power is beyond expected; the entire tree becomes instantly encased in ice and topples from the blow!

 _*Crack!*_

Lark, however, escapes unscathed via flight. "Well, well! Looks like you're aim is improving!" he taunts upon landing and reverting to his human-form. "You only missed me by a mile that time! Keep up the progress; maybe one day you'll be good enough to miss by a mere barn's length!"

The frustrated elite snarls furiously and rushes to retrieve his weapon. "Don't let him get away!" he orders his subordinates while dislodging his ax from frozen bark. "Keep following that punk even if it kills every last one of you!"

The eight lesser Wolfos resume their pursuit of the elusive shape-shifter who is clearly enjoying their struggle. "Yes. Follow me indeed..." Lark mutters with a devious smirk. He changes into a bird again and flies off ahead, his pursuers not far behind.

Watching the commotion from the shadows of the night, Ruto comes to a realization; it was not her scent trail that led these Wolfos all the way out here...

It was _Lark._

She knows not what he is doing out here in the southern farmlands, nor what he is trying to accomplish in provoking the monsters like this, but that matters little to her. What does matter, however, is that his mischievous actions are drawing out Devastati attention and causing a scene—one that has led the enemy right to her location.

And the direction he appears to be leading them now...leads straight to the house of Link and his grandmother.

This cannot go on. Although the Wolfos have their sights set on only Lark at the moment, they most certainly will not pass up the royal Zoras and their Hylian hosts once discovered. Ruto must stop the beasts' advance before they reach the farmhouse and destroy everything Grandmother Linda and quite possibly the neighboring Hylians have left... _Because Lark obviously is not concerned at all about who gets put in harm's way from his shenanigans!_

The Elite Wolfos breaks his ax free from its deep lodging and immediately turns back to the chase. His despised target still on the run, his thirst for vengeance boiling strong, he will waste not a second of time while time remains to act now or never.

And neither will Ruto.

This elite is easily the greatest threat out of all monsters present; taking him out while he is unawares is a top priority. Hesitating not to seize her opportunity, the battle-ready Zora emerges suddenly from the shadows and casts her glyph in the lupine's path before he can catch up to his pack. _"Hydros..!"_

 _*Sploosh!*_

Taken by surprise, the Elite Wolfos is caught in the torrent and lifted into the air. "Whoa! What th_?! _*glub!*_ Ack..!" Her most dangerous opponent dazed and singled out from the rest, Ruto rushes in to strike the powerful fiend while he is vulnerable.

 _*Slash!*_

Skewered in the back by the Rod of Jabuni's blade, the Wolfos yelps in pain before crashing upon the ground. As he attempts to regain his footing, he is quickly cleaved in the face by yet another blow from his assassin.

 _*Hack!*_

Ruto has the upperhand against her enemy, having delivered a massive amount of damage against him before he can make even his first move. But as an elite, the life-force of this particular Wolfos is still far superior to most others; he is not finished yet. The attacking Zora relentlessly continues to pummel the deadly fiend one ruthless blow after another, granting him not a chance to counteract. " _Hasta la Vista,_ doggy..!"

 _*Slash! Hack! Slash! Hack! Slash!*_

Heavily damaged and unable to get in a blow of his own amidst the unrelenting onslaught, the elite lets out a pained, bloodcurdling howl to draw his underlings' attention. " _AWOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!"_

Three lesser Wolfos immediately abandon their pursuit of Lark and turn around to come to their leader's aid while the remaining five carry on. As Ruto knocks her opponent to the ground and lunges in for the finishing blow, her strike is disrupted; an intercepting Wolfos has caught her weapon in its jaws before the blow could connect and engages her in a deadly tug-o-war as its allies close in.

The tables have turned. Fear and anger quickly fill the Zora's violet eyes. She attempts to swing her rod around to free it from the beast's gripping jaws. "Let go, you hairy buffoon! That's not a chew toy!"

She quickly knocks the lesser Wolfos aside, but two more are already upon her. They surround her.

They maul her.

In seconds, she is pinned to the ground. The Rod of Jabuni is torn from her grasp. Both of her arms are restrained painfully between sets of fangs sharp as daggers digging into her flesh. She cries out in pain. _"AAIYYEEEEEE..!"_

The Elite Wolfos uses his nearby underlings' energy to restore his own via his silver emblem's magic. Freshly revitalized, he strikes the resisting Zora with a vengeful blow hard across the head as his minions bind her, rendering her unable to continue the fight. "Well, what do we have here?" snarls the lupine hellion, having finally gotten an actual look at his attempted assassin. "A Zora? All the way out here 'round the outskirts of Castle Town? And royalty, too, by the looks of it!"

Ruto hatefully glares to the beast. "Unhand me at once, you wretched_!"

 _*Wham!*_

Her words are cut short upon receiving a cruel blow to the stomach from the butt of the elite's weapon. "Shut up, you brat!" barks the beast warrior, infuriated. "I'd put you through a world of torture for the trouble you caused me but I'm in the middle of a bigger hunt right now, so that's gonna have to wait!" He then turns to the lesser Wolfos binding Ruto; "Find something to hold this under-cooked sushi and stand guard until the Wizzrobes arrive to deliver her to Master Kazama. The rest of us will continue the hunt for the flying pest!"

The Wolfos pack splits up, each side to do as commanded by their leader. Ruto is carried away by three with claws and fangs still ripping into her skin. She cries out in desperation and pain every step of the way, wishing for someone—for anyone—to somehow take notice and come to her aid.

But it is futile. Her cries go unheard...

Well... _Almost_ unheard.

Lark hears her screams. He turns his glance from the Wolfos chasing him for a look at the commotion. "(Hm? Oh, it's that stuck-up fish-babe,)" notes the mischievous shape-shifter. "(I didn't expect to see her out this late. Looks like she got herself into a mess over there...)"

Seeing the Zora's distress, the hooded rebel has no need to think twice about his response. He immediately does the only thing he would do for someone in such a dire and desperate situation as hers;

Absolutely nothing.

Knowing she will likely not reward him as he desires for coming to her rescue, he sees no need to lend a hand if no self-benefits are to come from it. The Sheikah descendant casually turns a blind eye and takes off into the night without a care.

"(Meh... She's no skin off my back.)"

* * *

End of Episode 8: The Last Visit Home _  
_To be continued in Episode 9:  
 _ **It's Dangerous to Go Alone**_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! So just about every scene to take place within this whole 8th "episode" has really ended up much longer than I originally planned it, but I've also had a last-minute change of ideas about how I'm going to do the upcoming battle against the Wolfos to make it much more interesting, and that's going to require a separate episode of its own. This next episode will bring the focus mainly back to Link again** **—along with another character or two who will be returning to the party.**

 **...Oh, and be warned; Episode 9 will likely be filled with constant cliffhangers in almost every chapter. LOL (Am I cruel or what?)**


	83. 9-1 A Nightmare Come True

~SilentN

 **The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit** **  
** _Episode 9: It's Dangerous to Go Alone_

 _Princess Ruto has been captured, Grandmother Linda is in imminent danger of being found out and put to a miserable death for having sheltered the enemies of the Devastati, and Link is now left to make a difficult choice: should he focus on delivering the endangered Prince Zora home to Zora's Domain while they still have a chance at getting out alive...or risk both their lives in another dangerous rescue that he cannot hope to pull off alone?_

* * *

 **Chapter 1** **  
** _A Nightmare Come True_

A note from Sir Pent's writings regarding the most elusive of hidden skills:

 _Although I have come far since the day I left my birthplace in Holodrum behind to travel the world and make a name for myself as a slayer, I consider my journey far from fulfilled. The path to greatness is one to which there is no end; no matter how much one improves, there still remains room for further improvement, and no matter how skilled one becomes, there is always someone better._

 _This has become all too apparent to me throughout my personal quest to perfect my abilities as a warrior. More specifically; to achieve mastery over each and every one of the mighty hidden skills—powerful techniques whose secrets are known only to the greatest of swordsmen._

 _I have traveled many lands, sailed various seas, collected numerous swordsman-scrolls, and trained with countless blade-masters throughout the world in my pursuit of acquiring such skills. Whenever word of a technique I had yet to master reached my ears, I would immediately make it my goal to learn it for myself. Never would I rest until I could utilize the desired skill to ultimate perfection._

 _My efforts were fruitful. In time, I was able to master every hidden skill made known to me._ _After finally becoming one of the few greatest swordsmen capable of wielding the legendary Hurricane Spin-Attack,_ _it appeared that I could ascend no further. _There was not a single opponent,_ _man nor monster,_ _that could provide me with any sufficient challenge anymore.__

 _ _Or so I came to believe...__

 _ _This blind belief was short-lived. I was at last challenged one day by a rival whom I could not best. He wielded a hidden skill beyond comprehension to counter all others; one that stuns the very flow of time itself to make a rapid counterattack too fast for the eye to follow:__

 _ _The Flurry Rush.__

 _ _I had heard of this technique mentioned in ancient tales. It is not so well-known and has long been considered by many experts__ _—myself included_ _—to be nothing more than a myth fabricated from the fairy-_ _tales it tends to hail from. I would have never believed it to be real if not for witnessing it firsthand in battle._

 _Since that fateful day, I have diligently searched for whatever clue I could find as to how such a skill can be acquired in hopes of one day besting my unparalleled rival. But alas, my efforts drew forth no knowledge whatsoever, and most writings I could salvage of the fabled technique have been from those who still believe as I once did that this hidden skill is but a myth._

 _But it no myth. This I know. And although the time has come for me to retire prematurely due to my permanent disfigurement from the fatal bite of the one dragon I failed to slay, this does not mean my intentions to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Flurry Rush have ceased..._

 _Though I can no longer fight the battles I once was famed for, my many years of experience leave me with much to teach. By courtesy of King Roark, I have been poised at Hyrule Castle to train rising warriors in the art of combat. But it is only to those among my students who show the kind of potential I can rely on that I would pass on my vast knowledge of the hidden skills to the fullest extent. Entrusting such powerful secrets to the unworthy would be far too dangerous, after all._

 _In the meantime, it is my hope that I will live to train an apprentice worthy of carrying on my_ _legacy; one who will succeed to unravel the mystery behind the one hidden skill that has forever eluded me and even surpass my undefeated rival in my honor._ _I would like to think my son is the one for this task, but for as ashamed as I am to have to admit this as his father; I dare not place my faith in his competence at this point... Despite all the skill he has learned over the years, he still lacks the true bravery and ambition that is the formula to make a legend._

 _But perhaps my dream really is to remain just that: a mere dream. I have been training countless apprentices hailing from all walks of life for nearly two decades now, yet none have given me reason to hope that they will be the one to accomplish what I could not. Still, I would like to believe there may yet be at least one among any of my groups of students who does hold the hidden potential to perform the mythical Flurry Rush I long to see and just hasn't shown it yet..._

 _But I seriously doubt that._

* * *

His arms are bound. His legs stiff and heavy. Link has never felt more defenseless than now.

He tries to recount how he found himself in this predicament, but it all happened so fast. The last he recalls is lying in bed, restlessly trying to get some sleep before having to head out early before sunrise, but the sound of monsters breaking down the door and flooding into the little farmhouse called him to to spring up and defend his home without warning.

The Devastati has found him!

His sleep-deprived movements far too sluggish to fight back efficiently, the ill-prepared Hylian found himself immediately overtaken. Mauled by a Wolfos, he lies pinned beneath the beast's weight; its claws digging into his skin, its vile breath reeking down the back of his neck, Link is incapable of fighting this miserable bondage. All he can do now is watch in horror what happens...

What happens to his grandmother right before his very eyes!

Wolfos and Achemen surround her. They seize and beat her with brutal force, making sure Link gets to see every violent blow they inflict upon her. Pain and horror like never before are written on her face. She is screaming.

Screaming his name;

"Link..! Li-i-i-i-i-ink..!"

Link tries to get up and save her, but he is held back by something more than just the Wolfos pinning him down. An unseen force is preventing his body from responding. Dark-magic seems to be at work.

A familiar and dreaded voice speaks out from nearby; "Grah hah hah! Thought I wouldn't find you, did you?!"

 _Lord Bloodvore..!_

The dreaded Acheman Champion appears before Link out of nowhere. He sneers down upon the defenseless Hylian with cruel glee burning in his pale, soulless eyes. The lesser Achemen restraining Grandmother Linda begin to tear into her flesh all the more viciously.

With heartless smiles on each of the monsters' faces all the while.

Link grows both panicked and enraged. He tries to fight, or at least cry out, but neither body nor voice will respond. Bloodvore's magic has him completely immobilized in every way.

The golden emblem upon the Acheman Champion's forehead activates, causing the seal placed on Grandmother Linda by the Devastati to resonate. Her flesh slowly and painfully incinerates, breaking apart a little at a time into ash that drifts away in the eerie wind sweeping suddenly through the farmhouse as she screams in agony.

And Link can do nothing but watch.

"This is what happens to those who oppose me!" laughs Bloodvore cruelly. "They and their loved ones all die like constipated flamingos deprived of tacos!"

The Hylian farmboy can endure not a second more of this. The sound of his grandmother pleading for him to break through his unseen bondage and help her rings out above all other noise; " _Link! Get up! Link..!"_

The sudden feeling of a hand grabbing him forcefully by the shoulder somehow breaks his immobility. Unarmed, but determined and desperate, Link unhesitatingly seizes this instant to spring up and punch the Acheman Champion in the face.

 _*Pow!*_

The impact between his fist and its target making contact feels stronger than the sting of the claws that have been digging into his flesh. The clear sound of his grandmother grunting in pain, followed by a thud, snaps the young Hylian awake.

 _Huh..?!_

Link's eyes shoot open. He looks around to find himself sitting up in his bed with a fist held out in the air and not a monster in sight. Confused for a moment, he soon lets out a sigh of relief upon realizing everything was just a dream. All is well; the house is not under attack, Lord Bloodvore is nowhere near here, and all he punched was his grandmother trying to shake him awake.

 _...Wait_ WHAT?!_

"Oh my gosh! Grandmother!" exclaims the young farmboy in horror, looking down to find his grandmother lying dazed upon the floor after taking a knuckle-sandwich to the face. Panicked, he quickly throws himself out of bed and helps her sit up. "I'm so sorry! Are you alright?!"

 _Who would have thought he would ever live to see the day he punches his own grandmother?!_

The old woman groggily rubs her head. "Oof... And to think that's the very hand that had been crippled this same time last year..." comes her dizzied reply. "But never mind me. You need to go now! Princess Ruto just detected a pack of Wolfos somehow that she says is headed this way! Worse yet; she just took off after them herself!"

"What?! She can't expect to take on a whole pack!" says a panicked Link. "What about the prince?"

"He should still be in bed yet," explains Grandmother Linda. "The princess said she thinks it's her scent that led the Wolfos here and wants you to take him and leave for Zora's Domain right away while she creates a diversion to throw the monsters off your trail. I tried to tell her this was a dangerous plan, but she took off anyway and said she'll catch up with you on the road but doesn't want you to wait up if she doesn't make it."

Link palms his face in disbelief. "Oh no..." he groans as he sits down to ease the spinning of his sleepy head.

"I don't even know what to do now..." says his grandmother anxiously. "Do you think she really can handle this somehow and live to meet up with you as she proposed?"

"I doubt it..." groans he, rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes. "Wolfos work as a team; they're way too coordinated to be easily picked off one-by-one."

"Then what are you going to do?" asks she, her heart breaking at the thought of every likely outcome. "She's going to get herself killed! But it might already be too late for you to go after her..."

"I know..." says he, his head still pounding from having woken so abruptly. "You go wake the prince and get him ready to go while I try to figure out what to do..."

The old woman nods in understanding and complies without another word. Fearful tears forming in her eyes, she hastens her way out to wake the sleeping prince and closes Link's bedroom door behind her so the latter will have some privacy to get dressed.

Link groggily pulls himself to his feet, trying to force himself awake as quickly as possible. That last line from Lord Bloodvore in his dream echoes in his mind as he tries to recuperate from sleepiness;

 _"...They and their loved ones all die like constipated flamingos deprived of tacos!"_

"(I don't know what's weirder...)" the drowsy Hylian thinks to himself; "(The kinds of crazy dialogue dreams tend to come up with, or the fact that it initially seems perfectly normal to hear until after you've woken up to think back on it and realize just how nonsensical it actually was...)"

But that is of no concern now. Link takes a glance out the window as he gets up, hoping against hope to see some glimpse of the truculent Zora and know that it is not too late to run out and stop her before she gets herself killed.

But she is too far gone.

 _That foolish Zora! She ought to know it's dangerous to go alone!_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! So the opening note from Sir Pent's writings ended up quite a bit more lengthy than I intended, which forced me to cut the actual chapter kinda short, but I guess it turned out okay enough to pass... Despite the fate he met at the hand of Kazama in Hyrule Castle, Sir Pent still has a lot of untapped backstory to be explored that will continue to play some influence in the future, and so I wanted to tease a little more into it with this chapter's intro.**

 **Also, anyone who caught the hidden message in Ch. 4-12 might notice that it's been referenced again here. LOL**


	84. 9-2 Returning Spirits

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit,_ _Episode 9: It's Dangerous to Go Alone_

 **Chapter 2** **  
** _Returning Spirits_

Having already prepared his equipment beforehand to be ready as soon as he wakes up for departure, Link quickly suits up in his recruit's uniform and equips his weapons. A part of him feels a little guilty for still having this rental uniform in his possession when he was supposed to return it to the Royal Guard at the end of the day, but doing so will not be possible now due to the current circumstances, so he may as well continue to make use of this protective gear while he has it. The mail armor will be of great benefit on his perilous journey ahead.

Next to where his uniform rested is also the silly-looking green hat that his grandmother had wanted him to wear yesterday. He picks it up...and places it on his head, caring nothing if it looks ludicrous. He may have felt reluctant to wear it yesterday, but this hat was a handmade gift from his mother to his father, as well as the last gift he himself received from his grandmother; leaving it behind on his departure is not something he would even consider now.

Speedily armed and dressed, the young Hylian is ready to go at once.

 _...And do what?_

To go after Princess Ruto now, when it is already too late to catch up with her before the enemy finds her first, would only mean following her to the grave. But to do as she has ordered and flee with her brother while she keeps the incoming Wolfos distracted would most likely mean abandoning her to perish. _What a cowardly act it would be to leave an ally behind!_

Link recalls the way the Zora princess had turned back during a dire moment to rescue him from the Wolfos Champion's grasp when she could have easily just jumped down the Castle Town well without him and ensured her own escape while he kept the enemy distracted. How could he possibly consider letting her face grave danger alone while he himself flees to safety? As difficult and condescending as Princess Ruto may be, she still hesitated not to put her own life at stake to save his even though she had no need to do so; the young Hylian must be willing and ready to return the favor at any costs..!

Or die trying.

But on the other hand; can he really justify risking Prince Zora's life along with his own? If no one survives to deliver him to Zora's Domain safely, the poor child will be left defenseless and stranded; forced to fend for himself while injured in a foreign land that has just become plagued with vicious monsters out to harm him. Should both Ruto _and_ Link lose their lives tonight...then the little one will be doomed.

"(O goddesses above, what am I to do?)" Link prays desperately, tears forming in his poorly-rested eyes. "(If I try to save one Zora, I'm at high risk of leaving the other to die! I can't just run away while the princess is out recklessly throwing her life away...but if _I_ get killed trying to protect her, then _the prince_ will have no one left to look after him! Please... Please help us all... I can't bear to let anyone else die on my watch...)"

 _"Then stand idle no longer, for your immediate aid is needed..."_ answers a sudden triad of voices in unison.

 _Whoa! What in the world..?!_ The Hylian jolts in surprise. He turns to see a most unexpected sight; a familiar being glows afloat gracefully beside him, three colored wisps dancing in orbit around her three-pointed head like a halo.

His heart beating fast with adrenaline, his eyes wide with awe and disbelief, Link gazes upon the apparition in utter amazement. "Tricela..?!"

And Tricela it is. She nods serenely to the awestruck Hylian, her countenance a smile of motherly affection. _"It is good to see you were successful in returning here unscathed... W_ _e had full faith that you would..._ _But time is now short; your dear companion_ _—_ _Princess Ruto_ _—_ _she has been taken captive..."_

Link has no words. Feelings of pain and failure swiftly wash over him. A silent pause as this troubling news sinks in, he hangs his head in despair. "I... I'm already too late then..." he sighs at last, shedding a tear.

 _"If you wished to prevent her capture...then, yes; it is much too late..."_ says Tricela. _"But to undo her capture; too late, you are not."_

"But...how could I possibly do anything to save her now?" asks the Hylian. "You don't expect me to take on an entire pack of Wolfos myself, do you?"

Tricela: _"By no means..._ _To challenge the enemy unaided would mean repeating her mistake... Should your life be wasted with hers, both of your sacrifices will be for naught."_

Link: "Then...I should honor her sacrifice and get Prince Zora out of here while we can..?"

Tricela: _"There is no shame in fleeing from a battle unwinnable...but unwinnable, this battle is not. Do you truly wish to abandon an ally who can still be saved..?"_

Link grows puzzled by the TriSpirit's seemingly self-contradicting words. "Huh? But you just said that challenging them would be a mistake..?"

 _"To challenge the enemy alone would be a fatal error indeed..."_ Tricela specifies, a reassuring smile upon her face; _"But you need not go alone... Should your first tactic be to unite an alliance...should you place faith in the goddesses' protection to deliver you in battle...victory shall be well within grasp."_

"But where could I hope to find battle-ready allies all the way out here? And at this hour?" asks the Hylian, mixed feelings of hopefulness and doubt dueling within him. _Could there really be a chance?_

The sagacious TriSpirit remains as serene as ever. _"Do you doubt the will of destiny, dear one? If you believe that the goddesses have sent us, then believe that they are watching over you... You need only trust... Trust that your needs lie in the capable hands of fate."_

As Link ponders Tricela's words, her wisps position themselves before him. A light appears from the center of the formation from which a familiar object materializes and is placed in the Hylian's hands.

He recognizes the artifact immediately. "Is this...the Scroll of Insight?!"

 _"Indeed it is..."_ answers Tricela. _"Our dear Ruto was deprived of it upon her capture...but we have taken the liberty of recovering it for you. Its power can help you quickly locate both friend and foe in your mission to rescue her..._ _That is...if rescuing her is what you choose to now do..."_

She looks to Link expectantly. Link returns her gaze with newfound hope and determination flaring up in his eyes. They both know very well what his choice is, and there is nothing that could deter him to make another.

"It is," comes his reply.

Tricela smiles. _"Then come quickly... We shall show you the way."_

With not another word needed between them, the Hylian is immediately following the speedy TriSpirit to the door, choosing to place his trust in her guidance. He is briefly met by his grandmother and a sleepy Prince Zora in the hall on his way out.

"Link! The prince is up and ready," Grandmother Linda says to him. "Have you decided what you're going to do?"

"Sir Link..?" asks Prince Zora with deep worry, still rubbing his tired eyes. "Is Ruto really gone? We're not leaving without her, are we..?"

Link looks to the two tenderly. "I'll be back soon..." he says to his grandmother before then addressing Prince Zora; "Be ready with your healing magic when I get back, because we're probably going to have need of it by then before we go."

Grandmother Linda realizes what he is getting at. "Does this mean_?"

Link nods. "I'm going after Princess Ruto..!" Without another word, he is out the door where the TriSpirit is waiting.

His grandmother makes no attempt to stop him but watches with worry as he departs. "Oh, how I hope and pray he and Princess Ruto both make it back safely..."

"Hey..." says Zora Junior, pointing out a nearby mess on the floor. "What happened to that lamp over there..?"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Sorry for taking so long to update again. I've had _really bad_ writer's block with this one. I still don't feel very satisfied with how it turned out, but at least it's finally done. But anyway, now Tricela has rejoined the party, and as implied; she won't be the only one accompanying Link in the imminent battle ahead...**

 **Also, just in case anyone doesn't get what Zora Jr's ending line was about; remember how Ruto broke that lamp a few chapters back? Yeah, that's the one her brother now is pointing out here. LOL**


	85. 9-3 Zora in a Box

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 9: It's Dangerous to Go Alone_

 **Chapter 3** **  
** _Zora in a Box_

Her arms restrained, her body sore, and the Rod of Jabuni taken from her, Princess Ruto is left with no means of breaking free from her captors' grasp. She is left completely at the mercy of the Devastati's Wolfos.

And Wolfos are most certainly _NOT_ merciful.

With much biting, clawing, and beating, they forcefully shove her into a wooden crate which they had _'borrowed'_ from a nearby farm to use as a temporary cage for their new hostage. Being only a square meter in diameter, the box is quite the snug fit, but it is sturdy and lockable; that is all that matters. Surely it can hold this truculent Zora until she can be transported to Master Kazama.

...Once they can get her inside of it.

"I said; _unhand me,_ you hair-brained hooligans..!" hisses the resisting princess, struggling against the Wolfos with utmost defiance in spite of her weariness and injury. "That's a royal order! Don't make me repeat myself a 73rd time! ...Or was that 74 now? —Gah! You made me lose count!"

Ignoring her protests, the lupine warriors endure being repeatedly kicked in the gut and poked in the eye as they stuff their unruly captive into the crate. This process is proving to be quite the hassle for both parties involved. " _Grr!_ Hold her legs..!" snarls one Wolfos after taking a Zora foot to the stomach for what must be the 95th time.

 _*Pow!*_

...96th.

After a brief but arduous struggle, the Zora's resistance ultimately proves futile against the combined strength of three Wolfos. Brutally overpowered, Ruto is crammed forcefully into the closed space. The lid is shut over her head to thwart her from resisting any further.

But not from protesting.

"Let me out of here, you scumbags!" she continues to yell from within the crate, which is not at all designed to muffle noise. "This is no way to treat a lady! Especially not one who happens to be _royalty!_ And if any of you living hairballs had even the faintest sense of honor, you would face me one-on-one like a real warrior rather than ganging up all at once against a single opponent whom you've already disarmed! I've dealt with mere _lapdogs_ braver than you cowards! Why, one little mutt even tried to pick a fight with me just today, as a matter of fact! That annoying thing was barely the size of a rat...and he _still_ put up a more honorable fight than the three of you combined! No, seriously; you should see the bite mark it left on my fin! The only reason I hadn't sued the owner is because that good-for-nothing King Roark never listens to my case...just like how _you_ uneducated lot can't seem to listen to me now! Honestly! What must a girl do get any respect around here?!"

Annoyed by her unrelenting rambling, one of the Wolfos lifts a sizable rock while another briefly flips open the lid to Ruto's crate.

 _*BONK!*_

A solid pain crashes down upon her head. The noisy Zora is knocked out cold. The Wolfos sneer as they drop the rock used to silence her upon her unconscious body before closing the lid again and locking it shut. " _Grr..._ Stupid fish-person..." grumbles one of them. "This the most annoying prisoner we ever have!"

"She smell like _cat,_ too..!" growls the second, feeling aggravated by the feline scent clinging to the Zora's clothes. "And... _*sniff*_...garlic?"

"I go get Wizzrobe to transfer her..." says the third to the others. "You two...stand guard."

As their ally disappears into the night, the two remaining Wolfos station themselves at either side of the crate containing their unconscious prisoner. What few belongings she had on hand upon her capture are set aside on the ground. They consist only of her crown and the Rod of Jabuni now, though the Scroll of Insight would also be counted if it were present.

Unbeknownst to any of the Wolfos; it _had_ been present mere moments ago, but  a certain wisp had slipped in and spirited the artifact away undetected before they had the chance to even notice it was ever there in the first place.

Oblivious to their loss, the lupine warriors can think only of their current position...and how much they despise it; " _Grr..._ Me hates being guard dog..." grumbles one of them. "Me wants get back in hunt for stupid bird-boy before others catch him first!"

"Doubt they catch him so fast..." huffs the other. "He probably far off now."

Little do the beasts realize, standing atop the roof of the nearby storage-shed from which they had just taken their crate-cage from, the very miscreant whom they speak of watches from afar. "(Oh, this is perfect. Just perfect,)" Lark thinks to himself with a smirk. "(Not the kind of trap I originally had in mind, but hey, it's all cool; I kinda like this better! That stupid farmboy won't be able to pass this up...and then...")

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a peculiar talisman bearing the image of a Takkuri bird. The item is clutched greedily in his hand.

"(His power...is _MINE!)"_

A dastardly smile upon his face, the shape-shifting miscreant changes into his bird form and takes flight. Returning to where he last saw the full Wolfos pack prior to slipping away to follow those tasked with containing Ruto, he soon spots three of the beasts still hunting for him. Their alpha is not present due to the pack having decided to split up to search, but that is irrelevant for Lark; these lesser three are enough to execute his plan.

The Wolfos are sniffing around. " _Grr..._ We never find him now!" one grumbles. "He could be anywhere!"

"We not chase him way out here just to give up!" barks another. "Start checking houses; we need search everywhere..!"

A taunting voice calls out to them from behind; " _OR._..maybe you idiots could try looking somewhere more basic first..? Like...oh, I dunno... _RIGHT BEHIND YOU_..?!"

The lupine warriors turn around to see Lark standing a distance behind them. They blankly stare in surprise. _What is up with this punk already?_ Aggravated, they quickly snap to and rush after the insolent reprobate. As usual, however, he merely changes into a bird and takes off again before they can get close enough to land an attack.

The previous chase resumes. The Sheikah descendant continues alternating between forms to taunt the beasts as a human before flying out of reach again as a bird once they get close.

The Wolfos pursue, refusing to let this obnoxious target get away after all the trouble he has already given them. They are determined to catch him at all costs and willing to destroy anything that gets in their way.

Which is precisely what he intends to take advantage of...

* * *

His house disappearing farther from sight in the darkness behind him, Link follows the mysterious TriSpirit into the night. He knows not what she plans nor where she is leading him, but trusting in her guidance now is his only chance of saving the Zoras (and possibly his own home) from doom.

Looking at the Scroll of Insight in his hands, however, and using his mind to prompt it to show him the locations of any surrounding life-forms it can detect within the area as Ruto showed him, he quickly notices something quite peculiar about the direction they are going...

It is the exact _opposite_ of where the Zora princess is shown to be held captive.

"So... where exactly are you taking me?" the perplexed Hylian asks. "I know I'm new at using this scroll and all, but from what I can make out; I'm pretty sure we're going the wrong way..?"

Undeterred, Tricela continues leading him down the same path. _"If you mean to rush to Ruto's side immediately...then we are indeed going the wrong way..."_ she says to him. _"But as we have already informed you; to rush to her side as you are now would be to meet the same fate as she... Surely you agree that would only be counterproductive. If your rescue is to be successful...you must first seek aid...and so aid we do seek."_

"I see..." says Link, still a little confused. "But where are we going to find help out here? I've lived here my entire life and don't know anyone in the area who can fight."

 _"Worry not, dear one..."_ Tricela reassures; _"For passing through these lands as we speak...are at least two other warriors who oppose the Devastati's reign... You will know them when you see them...for by their side, you have fought before."_

The Hylian looks to the TriSpirit with surprise. She merely smiles back to him sagaciously and zips off ahead for him to keep following. He picks up speed. His mind is racing as fast as his legs as he ponders who these familiar warriors Tricela speaks of might be. _Could some of his fellow swordsmen from Sir Pent's training-course have survived after all?_ Although he may not have ever been on the best of terms with any of them, he certainly wishes no harm upon them and would be gladdened to see they are still alive.

Tricela soon comes to a sudden stop. _"Behold..."_ says she; _"The first and most formidable warrior whom, with efficient convincing, you may be able to persuade into joining your cause..."_

Link catches up. Not far ahead, he can make out the image of a large figure stealthily towing with his own hands a wagon full of supplies down the road. The Hylian soon recognizes the familiar character but is perplexed to see him out here.

The Goron from Castle Town.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! So does anyone here remember that moment when the Elite Acheman had mentioned how Lark had stolen a _"vessel of power"_ from Crow upon rebelling? Now we have the first glimpse of what the said vessel was; a mysterious talisman bearing the image of a Takkuri (i.e. that bird from _Majora's Mask_ that steals your items and delivers them to the Curiosity Shop). This talisman is an original item I made up for the story, but you'll find out what it's supposed to do before the end of this episode...although you may even be able to guess for yourself if you've already caught on to Lark's plan.**

 **...Also, sorry for taking so long to update again. I've been _wayyyyy_ too addicted to playing _Super Smash Bros. Ultimate_ these days. ^_^'**


	86. 9-4 A Rocky Start

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 9: It's Dangerous to Go Alone_

 **Chapter 4** **  
** _A Rocky Start_

The Hylian looks closer... Then looks again to be sure.

There is no doubt about it; the Goron ahead is indeed the very same one from Castle Town. In the moonlight Link can make out clearly the stone warrior's familiar attire; the red shoulder-pads bearing the crest of Din, the protective mask that folds over his head to double as a helmet, the grey-white hair as wild and unruly as the mane of an elder lion, and even the wagon itself that this Goron tows can be recognized by the young Hylian; it is the _exact_ one which he had helped unload a heavy haul of firecrackers from earlier this morning, after all.

Tricela did say that Link would recognize the warriors she reveals to him from having fought alongside them already, and she certainly was not wrong, but seeing this Goron so far out this way and at this time raises a disturbing question;

 _What is he doing here?_

Link knows very well that they had agreed to rendezvous out under the first bridge on the road east from town in the morning to receive the enchanted armor Ruto had purchased from this Goron, so should the latter not be headed _eastward_ right now? How is it, then, that they should encounter each other so far to the _south_ instead? And with the Goron seemingly headed only further to the _west_ from here, on top of it?

The scenario looks undeniably suspicious. _But perhaps a logical explanation exists?_ Link will refrain from jumping to conclusions until he hears what this Goron has to say for himself. Afraid to raise his voice while the Devaststi's Wolfos are on the prowl, he approaches the stone warrior quietly without calling out to him.

The Goron comes to a sudden halt. The sound of footsteps has alerted him to someone approaching from behind.

 _*WHAM!*_

Pausing not for a glance, the stone warrior has instinctively drawn his mighty hammer, slamming it in warning on the path behind him with great force. "Who's there..?!"

Startled, Link swiftly steps back, just narrowly avoiding the flying rubble. _Yikes!_ He attempts to identify himself but is too shaken to form a sentence. "Wa-wait..! I_ I'm just_! Ah..! I_ Uh..."

(He may have peed himself a little...)

Recognizing the harmless Hylian trailing him, the Goron lowers his weapon. "Oh, it's you..." he says with indifference. His expression swiftly changes to that of mild panic, however, after something seems to occur to him. "Wha_! It's _YOU.._?!"

"Um... Hi..?" says Link, waving awkwardly.

"Wh-what are you doing out here?!" snaps the Goron, clearly nervous about something. "I thought you were headed for Zora's Domain with their royal family!"

"We are, but we stopped at my house first to make preparations for the trip..." Link explains; "I live around here."

The Goron pinches the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Of _course_ you do..." he mumbles with regret.

Link notes his questionable behavior. "But I could ask _you_ the same..." he points out with suspicion; "Didn't you say you were going to meet us at the first bridge on the road east from town tomorrow?"

"You know, you ought to be more careful about sneakin' up on people in the dark like that!" snaps the stone warrior angrily, pretending not to have heard the Hylian's question. "Anyone who hears you coming at this hour is naturally gonna get the wrong idea and think you're there to jump them! You're lucky I thought to check first before flattening you just now!"

"Sorry..." says Link, well aware that this Goron is clearly just trying to change the subject. "But you didn't answer me; you _were_ going to meet us where you promised to in the morning... _Right?"_

" _Hmph._ I accepted your payment and wrote you out that claim-check, didn't I?" scoffs the Goron indignantly...though the fact that he has chosen to respond to a question with a question only gives the Hylian all the more reason to feel suspicious.

 _He was just going to take the payment and bail, wasn't he?_

"Well, it's just that this path doesn't quite lead to our place of rendezvous..." Link point out.

"Yeah... Well...uh...the Eastern Gate was more heavily guarded than I thought, so I had to exit town from the south," says the Goron, not very convincingly. "Just a detour is all. I was still going to meet you under the bridge to the east."

 _Suuuure you were..._

"Uh-huh..." says the unconvinced Hylian, crossing his arms. "Then may I ask why you seem to be taking a _westward_ trail right now if you were headed back northeast?"

"Oh! Does this path lead west?" asks the Goron, feigning surprise. "Well, how do you like that? Looks like I'm losing my sense of direction with old age! Ah, well. Common mistake, I guess. Good thing you came along when you did or I might have gotten lost and missed our rendezvous tomorrow! ...Completely by accident, of course!"

"Riiiiight..." Link replies dryly, sizing up the nervous grin on the Goron's face.

 _Yup. He was definitely going to bail..._

The Hylian is not at all fooled by this false act of innocence, but having had plenty of experience dealing with people like Volker, he already knows quite well that it is usually best not to contradict someone who is bigger and stronger than himself. Wrongdoers never react well to being caught in their lies, and another enemy is the exact opposite of what he needs at this moment.

"Anyway, that's not what I stopped you for..." Link continues, putting aside the Goron's obvious dishonesty for the moment and taking on a more serious tone as he gets back to the more important topic; "I know this is abrupt, but_"

" _AWOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!"_

A sudden howl from a Wolfos right nearby has cut the conversation short. "—I think the Devastati just found us..!" finishes the Hylian, quickly changing his sentence to fit the interruption of the moment.

The Goron swiftly draws his hammer. "What th_?! Sheesh! These guys just don't let up!"

From the dark of the night, three pairs of glowing eyes approach menacingly. "What's this..?" snarls one of the beasts coming into view. "A human and Goron...who still have _weapons?"_

A second Wolfos activates the Devastati emblem on its shoulder and senses no response from either of the two weapon-bearers before them. "No seal... They not with Devastati..!"

"Then they _enemy_..." growls the third. "Birdboy led us right to more prey..!"

 _Wait... 'Birdboy'..?_

Link spots a familiar bird fly past and take cover in a distant tree. Aside from owls—which this particular specimen clearly is not—most birds almost never fly at night when their vision is dangerously minimized, which is a strong indicator that this is no ordinary bird.

And Link has a pretty good idea just who it really is...

The Wolfos let out another chilling howl to let the others know of their position as they engage. Their haunting cry echoes loud and clear across the plains in the night, sending shivers down the spines of all who hear. " _AWOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!"_

"Get ready, kid!" says the Goron, standing back-to-back with Link. "They're gonna try to pick off the weakest target first...and that'd obviously be _you."_

Link readies his sword and shield in defense. His heart is beating fast with trepidation as he watches the beasts swiftly spread out to circle around for a more tactical position. The sleep-deprived Hylian can barely hold his sword straight in his weary and nervous state.

 _"(Fear not, child...)"_ he hears Tricela's voices resonate in his mind, though the TriSpirit has not made herself physically visible at the moment. _"(We are still with you... Now gather your courage...and let it shine bright.)"_

Taking a deep breath to calm his fear, Link glances to the crest of Farore imprinted on his sword before briefly closing his eyes in concentration. "(O goddess Farore...)" he mentally prays; "(Please grant me the strength and the courage to once again come through in this time of need.)"

The Wolfos close in...

The battle is on!

* * *

 **Thanks for reading...and Merry Christmas! :D As a special holiday-treat, I hereby give you all...another cliffhanger! Just what you always wanted, right? (I'm probably getting a lump of coal for this. LOL)**


	87. 9-5 Sudden Alliance

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 9: It's Dangerous to Go Alone_

 **Chapter 5** **  
** _Sudden Alliance_

The three Wolfos surround the Hylian and Goron and proceed to move in a circle around the two, poising themselves to strike from any direction in an instant. Link and the Goron stand back-to-back, watching the beasts' movements in anticipation of which one of them will be the first to strike. It is a waiting game between the two sides trying to predict the other's first move.

One of the Wolfos barks in aggression. Its eyes locked upon its prey, it positions itself to lunge for the Goron's throat while its ally targets Link.

 _This is it!_

The Goron reacts immediately. He swings his hammer to counter the incoming blow, ready to smack down the beast as it comes upon him and crush its skull against the earth. Link reacts similarly, raising his shield in defense against the other Wolfos lunging for him before retaliating with his sword.

...Or at least that is how they each intend for it to go.

Rather than lunging forward, the two attacking Wolfos quickly leap back instead. They were merely faking the attack to distract their targets. The third Wolfos instead mauls Link from behind while he and his stone ally both swing at empty air.

 _*Chomp!*_

The Hylian is knocked down. His sword-arm is clutched painfully in the jaws of the beast that mauled him. The other Wolfos who had just distracted him with its fake attack now really does follow through; it quickly seizes his other arm in its jaws and the two beasts, acting in perfect tandem, take off running with him before he or his Goron ally can react. The teamwork of these lupine warriors is far superior to that of those uncoordinated Bokoblins and Wosu fought back in Castle Town.

The third Wolfos remains to intercept and harass the Goron. "Down, doggy!" the stone warrior scolds, slamming his hammer to try and flatten the beast. Blows are swung between the two but none make contact. This Wolfos is smart enough to know it cannot take down a Goron this formidable by its own strength. The lupine fiend only intends to stall this mighty heavyweight using its agility, preventing him from intervening as its allies drag away the weaker Hylian to dismember him separately.

The twin Wolfos' sharp teeth piercing his flesh, Link cries out in pain as he is dragged mercilessly through the dirt by the arms. " _AAAAUGHH_..!" He questions in his mind why in the world the designers who crafted this mail-armor he was loaned from the Royal Guard decided to make it with such short sleeves that come only halfway to the elbow instead of protecting the entire arm. _Who even makes armor like that?!_

From the distant tree he is safely perched in, Lark witnesses the Wolfos' united onslaught against Link. A look of worry crosses his face at the unfolding of the helpless Hylian's untimely defeat. "(No! Not yet!)" the Sheikah-descendant thinks to himself. "(He still hasn't used the Flurry Rush!)" Changing back into a bird again, he flies forward to interfere before the Wolfos thwart his plan by obliterating their victim too soon.

Meanwhile, a colored wisp appears out of nowhere. It zips suddenly past the face of the Wolfos stalling the Goron, surprising the beast to throw off the timing of its next dodge.

 _*WHAM!*_

In its split second of distraction, the Wolfos has taken a devastating hit from the Goron's hammer. The beast howls aloud as it is sent flying across the horizon with great force.

" _AWOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH..!"_

The Goron's foe eliminated, he quickly rushes to the aid of the imminently endangered Hylian, reaching his side at the same time as Lark.

Changing back into a human upon landing, the Sheikah-descendant immediately tackles from behind one of the Wolfos pinning Link. Although his Windcleaver Katana is still broken from the previous battle, he is still armed with a number of kunai at his disposal to fight with. Wielding one in each hand, he jabs them both into the beast's body on contact.

 _*Stab!*_

The second Wolfos looks up from its prey to see its ally assaulted, but before it can react_

 _*POW!*_

—It, too, is knocked aside by a horizontal hammer-swing from behind. The beast collides with the earth and is sent rolling a painful distance across the ground. Before it can get back to its feet, the Goron who struck it leaps in for another blow, this time bringing his hammer down upon the fiend's head.

Crushing it.

 _*Slam!*_

The Wolfos assaulted by Lark tries to fight back in spite of its wounds. It snarls and slashes in every direction before throwing the assassin off its back.

Lark lands on his feet and faces the beast unfazed. The two kunai he stabbed it with remain lodged into its body but he still has plenty more on hand to keep fighting with. He tosses another, but the Wolfos—now prepared—blocks by hardening the thick fur on its wrists to shield itself.

His arms no longer bound, Link swipes at the beast's legs from behind as he gets up off the ground.

 _*Slash!*_

Unable to defend against attacks from two opposing directions at once, the Wolfos falls forward from Link's blow, landing right at Lark's feet. The Sheikah-descendant immediately stabs the lupine warrior in the face.

Killing it.

 _*Stab!*_

The Wolfos who had previously been sent flying after its attempt to stall the Goron went wrong lies a distance away in aching pain. Shaking off its daze, it raises its eyes to see its two allies both get slaughtered in seconds by the combined might of three warriors. A look of horror crosses its face as they all turn their gaze in its direction.

 _Ummm..._

 _Nope!_ _This three-on-one fight ain't happening!_

Bothering not to even recollect its dropped weapon, the last remaining Wolfos ignores the pains coursing through its body and immediately takes off running at full speed. No Hylian or Goron could keep up with the speed of a Wolfos on foot, so no one bothers wasting their energy to chase it down.

"That's right! Run, you lousy hairball!" the Goron calls after the fleeing beast. "Next time you'll think again before messing with a Goron!"

Meanwhile, the two humans behind him lock eyes while standing in silence. They are both still catching their breath yet from the fight, though one is clearly more fatigued than the other. The latter stares him down with a sneer before at last breaking the silence...

In the most condescending way he can think to;

" _Tsk!_ Just can't hold your own in a fight, can you?" Lark scoffs to Link. "Lucky I came along when I did... We wouldn't want your _precious princess_ to have to worry about you, now would we? Oh, wait! You don't actually mean anything to that ungrateful fish-chick, so never mind..."

The green-garbed Hylian frowns in irritation. " _Hmph._ Thanks for saving my life..." he reluctantly grunts. He would normally thank someone for helping him with much more sincerity, but the condescending attitude Lark just had to give him now makes expressing gratitude to this pompous quite difficult.

The Goron turns around to face the humans he just unexpectedly fought beside. He soon recognizes the newcomer who joined them mid-battle. "Hm? Hey, I know you; you're that knucklehead from the castle's rooftops, aren't you?" he remarks simply. "Huh. I didn't expect you were still living..."

The Sheikah-descendant shoots him a glare. "Aw, like _you're_ one to talk about life-expectancy! Haven't you lived plenty beyond your years, old man? Don't think I'm incapable of putting a fast fix to that!"

" _Hmph._ Well it looks like, _somebody_ sure is touchy..." scoffs the indignant Goron. "I just didn't take you to be smart enough to have any sense of self-preservation; what with the way you jump recklessly off rooftops or hang around in the middle of a battlefield like a mindless punk and all that."

"Oh, so you just _assume_ I don't know what I'm doing?!" Lark retorts. "I guess that just goes to prove how clueless you old-timers really are! I'll have you know I'm the sole greatest threat to those Devastati dopes—or to _anyone else_ who rubs me the wrong way! You looking to join the club?"

The Goron merely rolls his eyes and shrugs. "Bah. Kids these days... You sound like that whiny Zora this little pipsqueak here had with him earlier..." He turns his attention back to Link; "Hey, come to think of it; how come you're not with those Zoras now, anyway? I thought they said somethin' about you being their escort?"

The Hylian grimaces. "That's...actually what I had originally approached you about in the first place..." comes his answer.

 _Hm?_

All eyes are now on Link, waiting expectantly for him to continue. His own eyes trail from the Goron and over to Lark, whom he deduces by now to be the other warrior which Tricela had recommended for him to recruit before engaging to rescue Ruto. The shy farmboy hesitates to find the words to follow with. Making abrupt requests to a pair of random strangers is not something he is comfortable doing, but he decides to just come right out with it;

"I know this is abrupt, but...I need your help."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Here's the first update of the year! ...But, wow, I can't believe it's already 2019! 0_o' _Ugh._ I am slacking so bad on my many projects right now... I need to pick up the pace this year! **


	88. 9-6 Beggars Can't be Choosers

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 9: It's Dangerous to Go Alone_

 **Chapter 6** **  
** _Beggars Can't be Choosers_

Four Wolfos stand gathered.

One is an elite bearing a silver emblem of the Devastati on his right shoulder and an icy battle-ax in his paw. A fresh scar, radiating with a cyan gleam reminiscent of the enchanted Rod of Jabuni that made it, marks his body where he was recently cleaved by a certain Zora in her failed attempt to assassinate him mere moments ago. Two lesser Wolfos stand beside him and another before him. The latter, who is unarmed and moderately injured, has only just arrived and fills in the others with an urgent report explaining its current condition, which is the result of an encounter with their target having gone wrong.

"So the bird-brain's got himself a pair of allies now, does he?" says the elite after hearing about how Lark had joined up with two other warriors and slain two of the three Wolfos trying to apprehend them. " _Grr._ Right when our numbers are spread out, of all possible times..."

He takes a moment to ponder the situation. Although this opportunity to capture such a large number of rebellions to hand over to Master Kazama does appeal to the lupine commander longing to raise his own rank among the Devastati, he is well aware that recklessly challenging these warriors now may be biting off more than he can currently chew. Two of his eight underlings are now dead, and another three are currently still stationed to handle the Zora princess they had just captured, leaving him with only these present three to fight under him.

And one of them is not even in dependable fighting-condition anymore.

If Lark and his newfound allies are truly as formidable as described, then this battle could easily go either way. But a clever commander only picks fights that he knows his own forces hold the advantage in. As much as the Elite Wolfos loathes to have to admit it, it is clear that his current pack may not be up for the challenge at this moment.

But that is not so difficult to fix...

The Elite points his ax towards the beaten Wolfos who gave the report and gives a commanding bark; "Hurry over to the Southern Patrol and tell them to lend me some extra troops right away! Grab yourself a weapon while you're there and return to me the instant I summon you!" He then turns to one of the others standing beside him and gives further orders; "You go with him and make sure my request for reinforcements gets out twice as fast! And if I don't have them here by the time I give the signal to call the next attack in five to ten minutes, you'll _both_ join your late comrades in death before the night is through!"

The two lesser Wolfos obey immediately, taking off running into the night at full speed.

"As for _you_..." the Elite continues to the remaining underling; "You're going to back me up as I trail these rebels from afar. We follow them from a safe distance until the time is right to launch our attack when the reinforcements arrive. Until then, just keep quiet and do _not_ engage unless I say so! Any questions..?"

The lesser Wolfos nods.

" _Grr..._ What is it?" sighs the Elite, reluctant to have to waste precious time actually answering.

The lesser Wolfos presents the question that has been haunting its mind; "Is turtle without shell _homeless_...or _naked?"_

 _*Bonk!*_

"I said; ' _QUESTIONS',_ you idiot!" snarls the Elite, hitting his underling across the head; "Not ' _STUPID questions'!_ Learn the difference!"

* * *

Three figures move swiftly and quietly down the dirt road, passing by the surrounding farms in the area as stealthily as they know how while maintaining a steady pace. The unlikely triad consists of two humans and a Goron brought together to confront a common enemy. Keeping urgent haste, they stop only briefly upon passing the property on which the home of the smallest member of their group is built.

"That's my place right there," Link points out to the Goron in his company. "It'll be safe to park your wagon here while we're out on the rescue."

" _Hmph._ It'd _better_ be..." the Goron indignantly scoffs. "My entire livelihood is stashed in here. So if I find anything— _anything_ at all—missing or damaged when we get back from this little _rescue mission_ you're dragging me on, I'm holding you personally accountable for the loss and demand full compensation! We clear on that?!"

"Fully clear..." answers Link.

"Just remember; I'm a _businessman,"_ reminds the grumpy Goron as he proceeds to park his wagon on the Hylian's land. "I don't do charity. I'm only in this because you promised me free claim on any spoils left from the battle...but if you go back on your word; if you try withholding for yourself anything valuable we mop up before letting me claim my due dibs, then don't expect me to carry through with our _other deal_ either! You can just kiss that armor I promised you goodbye!"

"Don't worry..." says the Hylian, growing somewhat vexed. " _I_ always keep my word..." _(Unlike a certain hypocrite present who had just tried to bail on a deal after having already received a princess's royal heirloom as payment...)_

Lark rolls his eyes in annoyance at them both. "Like you're really going to get any good spoils from just _two_ lousy Wolfos..." he scoffs irritably. "You sure you don't just want to sit this one out, old man? If the spoils are all you're after, take it from me; you're not going to pick up anything good from this battle—if you can even _call_ this pathetic thing a real battle! Why waste your time?"

The Goron gives no answer. He remains standing silently before his wagon with his back to the human boys, presumably checking the locks before leaving his goods unattended.

" _Pfft!_ Fine! Just ignore me, then!" Lark scoffs again before resuming down the road. He then goes on to address Link while walking on ahead; _"Hmph._ I can't believe you're really such a wimp that you think you have to lug _this_ old geezer along. I _told_ you I already know where they're holding that fish-babe you want to save so bad, and that there are only _two_ measly guards watching her! Why are you such a chicken?"

Link gives him a puzzled look.

Partially because the thought of referring to a Zora princess as a _'fish-babe'_ strikes the chivalry-abiding farmboy as both disrespectful and just downright bizarre, but also because this insistence for the Goron's exclusion from the mission seems...disturbingly suspicious.

Deciding to put the former issue aside, Link inquires about the latter; "Why are you so against me asking him for help, anyway?"

It had taken a little bit of convincing for the Hylian to persuade the two rebel warriors to assist him in this rescue mission in the first place, as neither of them are as inclined as he is to risk their own lives over a noble cause unless they should find it beneficial to themselves, but given how simple the task appears to be, the Goron was willing to lend his strength on the condition that he be allowed dibs on any and all spoils found in their defeated enemies' possession. Killing a few measly Wolfos is no problem for a warrior of his league, the beasts' pelts do sell for a pretty fair price, and the chance to pick up some free weapons to add to his wares is always a welcome opportunity for someone who deals in weapon-trade for a living, making this quest a decent business opportunity for the stone warrior.

Lark's agenda, on the other hand, remains a mystery to Link. The hooded shape-shifter would say not his motives, nor did he fully agree to partake in the rescue. When asked to assist, he only said that he would fight _when he feels like it._

What exactly he meant by this, Link can only wonder. But what puzzles the Hylian all the more is the way Lark seems to have such an issue with the Goron's company; when recruiting the two, it almost seemed to Link as if Lark was only agreeing to help as an attempt to persuade him against seeking the stone warrior's aid, as if he actually _feared_ what might happen if the Hylian joined forces with the mighty mountain-dweller instead of going alone.

 _But why?_

"You want to save the fish-babe before they transport her, don't you?" says Lark, once again making Link cringe at the use of the term _'fish-babe'._ "That old fart's just going to slow you down! Everyone knows not to take a geezer along when you're in a hurry! I mean; just look at how bad he's falling behind already!"

Link turns around. The Goron is still standing in place behind them as the two human boys proceed. "Um... You coming..?" the Hylian asks the stone elder.

"..."

There is no response.

"Yo! Old guy!" says Lark. "What's the holdup?! We're not going to wait for you!"

"..."

Again, no response. Just a slight twitch of the Goron's backside.

" _Tsk!_ Did that geezer seriously just fall asleep on his feet?" Lark scoffs. "He's even more pathetic than I thought! Just leave him... He's obviously way too old for this."

Link is not so quick to dismiss. "Is something wrong..?" asks he. Growing concerned, he turns back to approach the unresponsive elder.

Lark grows impatient. "Oh, come on! Let the old-timer snooze where he stands! At this rate, we're just going to_"

" _Gyaah..!"_

The sudden reaction from Link cuts him off. "What's up?" asks the Sheikah-descendant upon seeing the Hylian's horrified expression. The latter is too shaken to speak and only beckons him over while pointing to the unresponsive Goron's face.

Rushing over, Lark quickly sees the cause for alarm;

The Goron's eyes have rolled to the back of his head and he is frothing at the mouth! His lips look as if they are trying to speak in his trance-like state, but he can barely get out so much as a disoriented grunt and is now beginning to shake violently.

"Whoa!" says Lark in shock. "Is he having a seizure or something..?!"

"H-hey..!" says Link to the Goron, reaching out in panic to steady him. "Are you alright..?!" The instant the Hylian's trembling hand makes contact with the shaking elder, the latter suddenly jolts while crying out in a psychotic voice;

 _"LeAVe mE ALoNe..!"_

Scarred half to death, the two humans share a rather unmanly scream as they jump back in fright and unwittingly cling to each other in terror. The Goron suddenly loses balance and nearly collapses, but just barely manages to catch himself before he would topple over. His eyes slowly return to normal as he clutches his head in dizziness.

"Ugh..." he groans groggily to himself, sweat pouring from his aching head. "Not again..."

The alleged seizure has passed. Link and Lark, still holding on to each other in fright, quickly realize their embarrassingly unmanly behavior and shove themselves apart. They both agree without a word that their cowardly fear-hug absolutely _never_ happened.

"What the tar was _THAT?!"_ Lark snaps to the Goron.

"Are you okay..?" asks Link, worried for the elder's well-being.

"I'm fine..!" the Goron snaps grumpily to the boys. He quickly straightens up to act as if nothing had occurred. "Just a little dizzy-spell is all... It's nothing."

Lark turns to face away from the other two to discretely inspect his own embarrassing situation in private. "(Oh, come on!)" he thinks to himself. "(I _just_ changed my underwear last week! Gah. I guess I'll just have to walk it off...)"

Link is still concerned by the worrisome display. "Are you sure you're going to be alright?" he asks the Goron. "You were shaking and frothing pretty bad just now..."

"I said; it's _nothing!_ Forget you ever saw that!" the grumpy elder insists, storming ahead of the boys to avoid eye-contact. "Let's just stop wasting time _get moving_ already! I doubt those Devastati bums are just gonna wait around for us to come crash their party!"

Although the Hylian is largely unconvinced that this _'dizzy-spell'_ is really as insignificant as the Goron would have them believe, he opts not to pry any further. As troubling as his grouchy companion's condition may be, it still pales in comparison to the more urgent situation which they must rescue Princess Ruto from, and enough time has already been wasted. They must act now or never.

He turns to Lark. "So, where did you say you saw them holding the princess..?"

"Just two farms down from here," the annoyed shape-shifter answers before taking off ahead. "Just follow me... And hurry it up!"

Without another word, the three warriors are back on the road in haste. Lark still appears to detest the Goron's involvement for whatever reason and is only tolerating it due to their limited time to act, which makes Link wonder all the more what the mysterious mischief-maker's unknown motives for helping really are.

But he gets the feeling it has nothing to do with guaranteeing this mission's success...

Keeping quiet while hasting down the road alongside his new companions, Link hears the voice of Tricela speak to him via her telepathy; _"(We sense the suspicions in your thoughts...and they are not unjustified. You are right to expect ill-intent from your current allies...for although their strength in battle is dependable, their loyalty is not... Be on guard.)"_

"(But _you're_ the one who recommended them,)" replies Link in his mind, daring not to speak out loud to his unseen guide in front of his companions lest they deem him crazy. "(Why would you send me to recruit these guys if you already knew there's a chance they might betray me?)"

 _"(_ _They may not be the most preferable of companions...but they are currently your only chance of rescuing our dearest Ruto...)"_ Tricela answers him. _"(We believe mortals have a proverb for this...)"_

"(Yeah, I know; _'beggars can't be choosers'..._ )" Link sighs quietly.

Tricela: _"(Correct. But you need not worry, my child... We are still with you._ _Should we detect any immediate intentions of betrayal from either of your companions...we shall alert you promptly. But for the time being...we would advise that you keep both ever close... Their cooperation depends on it...)"_

Link: "(What do you mean..?)"

Tricela: _"(Treacherous though they may be...they will make no attempt of treason while a witness is present... And because they trust not one another...)"_

The Hylian now catches on to the TriSpirit's plan. "(...Then they'll both be keeping each other in check not to try anything funny while we're working together!)" he quickly concludes. "(Now I get it!)"

 _"(You are quick to comprehend, child...")_ Tricela commends him. _"(Your wit shall be a great aid in your success...)"_

Just then, the group nears their destination. "Here we are," says Lark, pointing up ahead. "I saw them lock your fish-babe in a crate just behind that barn over there. There were only two Wolfos standing guard, so I doubt all three of us will be necessary." He turns to face the Goron; "...And given that seizure-thing you just had, I think it'd be best for you to stay here on reserve. We'll call you if we need backup."

The stone warrior scoffs at the idea. " _Humph!_ Like I'm just gonna sit here and let _you_ punks claim all the spoils to yourselves! Forget it, kid! Those goods are all mine!"

"I told you; I'm not interested in the spoils!" snaps the Sheikah-descendant. "I doubt they even _have_ anything worth claiming in the first place! I just don't think it's a good idea to bring an old-timer into battle when he's _obviously_ not in the best health right now!" He then turns to Link; "You agree, don't you? Just think of what would happen if he were to whack out again while we're fighting!"

The Goron is offended. "Who ya callin' _'old-timer',_ Peach-Fuzz?!"

Link gives Lark a glare. Thanks to his secret conversation with Tricela, he realizes now why the mischief-maker is so against the stone warriors's inclusion in this mission, and he is certainly not fooled by his false concerns for the latter's health. "He's coming with us," is the Hylian's simple but stern answer.

"Got that right!" the Goron agrees. "Let's not forget I'm the only real pro here!"

Lark is clearly irritated but still outvoted. "Whatever..." he scoffs in defeat. "Let's just get it over with..."

The stone warrior grips his hammer restlessly, eager for a good fight. "LET'S DO THIS!" he cries out in a loud voice.

...Alerting the two Wolfos of the group's presence.

 _"Grrrrrr..!"_

Four pairs of eyes—two from his lupine enemies up ahead and another two from his human allies nearby—turn to the Goron with an angry glare. "Um. Heh heh..." he chuckles sheepishly. "Maybe I didn't need to say that in such a loud voice..."

"A _'real pro'_ for sure..." scoffs Lark.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Sorry for taking so long to update yet again. I had really bad writer's block on this one. Plus, at roughly 3,000 words, this has also been one of my lengthiest chapters in awhile. Admittedly, I think it turned out kinda dull for how much time and effort I put into it, but it sets the stage for the next chapter, which will be where this 9th episode starts to get more interesting...**


	89. 9-7 Among Wolves

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 9: It's Dangerous to Go Alone_

 **Chapter 7** **  
** _Among Wolves_

The eerie call of the Wolfos' howl echoes across the moonlit plains, alerting all others in the area of the commotion;

" _AWOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH..!"_

Eyes locked upon the approaching intruders, the twin beasts stand round the crate containing their hostage. Although outnumbered two-against-three, they cannot afford to withdraw and allow these warriors to release their royal prisoner. They must stall until the third Wolfos soon returns with a Wizzrobe to instantly transport the unconscious Zora to Master Kazama.

Lark scoffs in disgust. "I _told_ you not to bring the geezer..." he says to Link. "Now they've just alerted the whole pack to our position!"

"Ah, relax, will you?" says the Goron confidently. "I'll pound these pooches and we'll be outta here before the rest of 'em even show! Let me at 'em!" Before another word can be exchanged, the stone warrior is already rushing ahead with hammer in hand.

"Hey! Watch it!" calls Lark. "You can't just_!"

 _*WHAM!*_

The first Wolfos is immediately flattened.

"_Um. Do... _that_..?" finishes the dumbstruck shape-shifter, finding himself already contradicted.

Outmatched and unaided, the remaining beast runs frantically from the hammer-happy Goron chasing it down as though he were playing a game of Whack-A-Mole. A baffled Link and Lark are left standing idle to watch, their assistance in this battle clearly unneeded.

The Wolfos' agility too great to catch up with on foot, the stone warrior opts to instead take down the lupine fiend from afar by simply throwing his hammer.

 _*Bonk!*_

A direct hit. The beast hits the ground.

Stunned.

Grabbing hold of the downed Wolfos' tail, the mighty Goron throws the fiend against the hard earth before crushing it beneath his own massive weight. Link shields his eyes from the bone-shattering violence before him, almost feeling sorry for the helpless beast.

 _*Crush!*_

Within mere seconds, the fight has already been won without either of the humans having the need (or even the chance!) to lift a finger. "Ha! Got 'em!" shouts the Goron in triumph. "You boys see that? So much for this _'old geezer'_ holding you back, eh?! I don't know why you kids were even worried."

A speechless Link commends him with an awkward thumbs-up, still somewhat intimidated by the stone warrior's overwhelming strength.

Lark just crosses his arms and scoffs in annoyance. " _Hmph._ Whatever... Let's just grab the fish-babe and get out of here already."

While the Goron contends himself to searching the deceased Wolfos for any keepsakes worth claiming, Link approaches the wooden crate. The lock is just a simple latch to be opened from the outside, obviously only meant to keep the lid from swinging open rather than protect against burglary. This crate was, after all, only designed with the purpose of holding produce for storage or transport in mind, not to act as a vault or prison as these Wolfos were temporarily using it for. As expected, he finds Princess Ruto locked within. A throbbing bump is visible on her head and the sizable rock that made it is still set beside her, occupying the little extra space left in the crate with her unmoving body.

She is unconscious.

"Princess..?" says the worried Hylian, shaking her for a response. "Are you okay? Princess..?!"

Lark peers over his shoulder. "Hm? It looks like she's still out cold..." he says plainly.

...Before suddenly flashing a mischievous smirk. "Lucky!"

Predicting the inappropriate behavior about to come, Link quickly seizes the shameless pervert by the wrist, halting him from laying a naughty hand on the unconscious maiden's body. "Don't. Even. _Think._ About it..." says the morality-abiding Hylian with a death-glare of disapproval.

Lark reluctantly withdraws his extending reach. " _Tsk!_ Party-pooper..." he scoffs indignantly. "A goody-two-shoes like you probably lets countless opportunities go to waste every day!"

Uninterested in wasting his breath bickering, Link ignores the lecherous miscreant in favor of getting on with the mission. He carefully lifts the unconscious Zora from the crate, letting the stone beside her drop to the wooden bottom, before closing the lid again so it would appear untouched. He gently shakes her once more in his arms in hopes for a response, but to no avail.

Having collected all that he could from the deceased Wolfos, which consists of two wooden spears and a few monster parts still intact that can be sold for a fairly decent profit, the Goron approaches the trio. "Not waking up, huh?" he remarks as he inspects the princess's wounded head from over the Hylian's shoulder. "Looks like they knocked her out pretty good there. —Not that I can really blame 'em. She _is_ pretty annoying to have to listen to, you gotta admit..."

"We need to get her back to my house right away for treatment," says Link. "Would you mind carrying her back?"

Lark smirks. "I can take care of _that_ for you."

"I wasn't talking to you," Link bluntly corrects.

"Well, seeing how we're both going back that way yet, I s'pose I could," says the Goron as he effortlessly lifts Ruto in a single hand, relieving Link to collect her crown and the Rod of Jabuni laid by the Wolfos beside her crate on the ground.

Crossing his arms, Lark gives another scoff to the Hylian. " _Hmph._ Nice to see how much you've been appreciating my help! —Freely offered, mind you," he grumbles begrudgingly. "I didn't tag along, generously lending my time and talent to your cause, just to be left standing on the sidelines while some old _Goron_ takes the stage, you know."

"I appreciate you agreeing help, Lark. I really do," says Link honestly. "But frankly; I don't trust you to handle an unconscious girl... _appropriately_."

The annoyed miscreant points a thumb back to the Goron. "Oh? And I suppose you consider _THAT_ to be handling a girl ' _appropriately'_..?"

The Hylian turns around to see. His eyes shoot wide open.

Rather than carrying her delicately in his arms or over his shoulder, the simple-minded Goron is dragging Ruto casually through the dirt by her ankle! "H-hey..!" says Link frantically. "Don't you think you could handle her more... _gently_ than that..?!"

"Hm? Does it really matter?" the elder blankly asks. "She's already unconscious..."

"She doesn't need to wake up to any more bruises than she already has..." the Hylian awkwardly explains, trying not to sound too demeaning.

"Ah, picky, picky..." The Goron whips the limp Zora over his shoulder to satisfy the demanding little human, still failing to comprehend the meaning of the word _'gently'_. "Well, whatever. It's not like it's much of a load to carry either way."

Link palms his face. He can only hope no children have ever had the misfortune of finding themselves under this fellow's rough care before in his long lifetime.

As the Goron and Hylian resume their way back down the road they came, Lark stands in place with a scowl. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out the Takuri talisman and grips it tightly in his hand. "(I Lured those Wolfos out here to bait Link into using his Flurry Rush so I could steal it...)" he thinks to himself. "(Not for some stupid Goron to butt in and hammer them before the battle even starts! This guy has _got_ to go...)"

Noticing the delay, Link turns to address the lingering shape-shifter. "This place is someone's private property, you know," he says to him. "We should get moving before there's trouble..."

" _Hmph._ Whatever..." Making no eye-contact, Lark discretely slips the talisman back into his pocket before resuming pace with the group. He is clearly irritated.

"...And Lark?" says Link.

"Hm?"

"Thanks."

This sudden expression of gratitude catches the Sheikah-descendant by surprise. Baffled, he turns to look the Hylian in the eye. "Um... What?"

"For helping..." says Link. "I appreciate it."

"But...I never _did_ anything," says Lark, stopping in his tracks. "The old guy took _both_ of those Wolfos down himself before either of us had the chance to react!"

"I know," says the Hylian. "But you still agreed to come along at the risk of putting yourself in danger, even when there was nothing in it for you, and if you hadn't swooped in and saved my life earlier when those first three Wolfos had attacked us before, I wouldn't even be here right now in the first place... I know I acted a little cold and sarcastic when I thanked you then, but...I really do appreciate your help."

The perplexed miscreant stares at his green-garbed companion in utter confusion. He cannot begin to fathom why Link is treating him so civilly, as he would certainly never consider doing likewise unless for the purpose of manipulation. After a moment of trying (and failing) to grasp this logic, he simply shrugs it off, taking the farmboy to be a mere idiot, and resumes walking ahead. " _Hmph._ Don't look too much into it..." is all he says in reply.

* * *

Less than a minute after the trio has left the scene with Ruto in transport, the third Wolfos returns in the company of a Wizzrobe.

"There..." says the beast, pointing to the closed crate. "We locked her in box."

The dark magician looks around at the lack of guards. "And then you just left it unguarded?" it says with a scoff. "And I thought Wolfos were supposed to be _smart!"_

"What?! No..!" the Wolfos scans its surroundings angrily, looking for where its comrades disappeared to when they should have been standing watch. " _Grr!_ I told them to stay! Where they go?!"

"Ha! You're lucky the box is still even here!" sneers the Wizzrobe. "Just think of how easily anyone could have come along and freed your prisoner while you incompetent mutts were too distracted chasing rabbits or whatnot instead of standing guard like you _should_ have been! You know the Devastati has no use for monsters who lack vigilance! Wait'll Matser Kazama hears about your near-blunder!"

"We _NOT_ chasing rabbits..!" snarls the lupine warrior in offense. "We_!"

 _*Gleam!*_

Its words are cut off as the emblem on its shoulder suddenly begins to resonate; a signal that the commander is drawing all underlings back to himself immediately. "Ah! The alpha calls..!" the Wolfos exclaims. " _That_ where others must be! Alpha call them away for emergency! Take Zora to Master Kazama... Me go now..!"

A dark radiance envelopes the beast, spiriting him away in a moment's notice to his commander's side. The Wizzrobe is left alone with the empty crate.

Although he still has yet to realize it is empty.

"Well then... It looks like I'll just have to deliver this prisoner to Master Kazama by myself, won't I?" the dark magician smirks deviously to himself. "Eee hee hee! Maybe the Devastati _does_ have use for monsters who lack vigilance after all; at least idiots like these Wolfos are easy for the rest of us smarties to steal credit from!"

Lifting the crate with his magic, the Wizzrobe disappears with it gleefully into a portal.

* * *

The three warriors continue down the road in silence. Link walks closer to the Goron to keep an eye on the unconscious Princess Ruto swung over his shoulder, as well as to gently fasten her crown back upon her head where it belongs. Having been custom designed specifically to be worn by her, it is a snug fit and will not fall off even as she is currently being carried nearly upside-down.

The poor Zora is still not exactly being handled very delicately by the stone warrior but because the Hylian lacks the muscle to carry her dead weight himself while keeping up pace, he opts not to criticize the mighty mountain-dweller's methods any more than necessary. He is just relieved they managed to recover her in time and with such relative ease.

But rescuing her was only the first step. She will require her brother's immediate Healing Grace upon return to the farmhouse before they may depart, and then there remains the matter of escaping undetected while there are still many more Wolfos yet on the prowl—each possessing tracking skills to match even the most well-trained bloodhound.

In short; the danger is far from over yet.

It is merely just beginning.

" _AWOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH..!"_

—Yup. Only just beginning...

Without a word spoken between them, Link, Lark, and their Goron companion take an immediate battle stance at the sound of the nearby Wolfos howl. Gleaming out from the surrounding darkness are the eyes of five lupine warriors closing in around them while still maintaining a distance to avoid taking the first hit.

"Well, what do we have here?" says the Elite Wolfos fiendishly, easily standing out among the rest of the pack by the silver emblem upon his right shoulder and the fresh scar on his body still radiating a cyan gleam where the Rod of Jabuni had left its mark. "Looks like you actually managed to snatch up my latest catch while my back was turned... Although that could have _easily_ been prevented if _someone_ was competent enough to do their job just a little faster!"

He pauses to give a disapproving glare to one of the lesser Wolfos in his company: the one whom was most recently summoned back after having been sent to retrieve a Wizzrobe to transport the captive Zora. The shamed minion gnashes his teeth in annoyance at his commander's belittlement but refrains from protesting.

The Elite Wolfos continues to his foes; "I could commend your thieving skills, but your effort was all for nothing. Now if you three will just kindly surrender yourselves and your weapons to the Devastati, you can join your little Zora friend as we take both her _and_ you back into custody with a one-way ticket to see Master Kazama..."

"I've got a better offer for you," says the Goron. "Come a little closer...and I'll flatten you all into instant throw-rugs!"

The three warriors raise their respective weapons for battle: bow, kunai, and_

... _Zora?_

Link nudges the Goron, pointing out that he is still holding Ruto by the ankle and about to swing her as a weapon. Embarrassed, the elder quickly drops the unconscious Zora princess (on her head, much to Link's dismay) and picks up his hammer before returning to his battle stance like nothing happened.

The Elite Wolfos smirks. "So you want to do this the hard way, do you?"

"Give it a rest," scoffs Lark. "I've never accepted orders from the Devastati before and I'm not starting now!"

"Good," says the Elite. "Because otherwise...the trouble I went through to gather all these extra troops would have been for nothing!"

 _*Gleam!*_

The silver emblem flashes on his shoulder. Numerous portals suddenly appear out of thin air, spawning various monsters from every direction. The three warriors are taken aback by the overwhelming numbers.

"What th_?" says the Goron in disbelief. "Where'd all these come from?!"

"Why do you think the Devastati allowed the local farmers to continue their lives outside the walls of Castle Town unattended?" sneers the Elite Wolfos. "It's because we've already got this area completely under our command!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Moral of this chapter: _never_ ask a Goron to carry someone who is unconscious. LOL **


	90. 9-8 The Masked Demon

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 9: It's Dangerous to Go Alone_

 **Chapter 8** **  
** _The Masked Demon_

"So..." sneers the Elite Wolfos fiendishly. "Do you still want to resist..?"

The three warriors look around in desperation. In addition to the five Wolfos that initiated the attack, there now stand several other monsters of varying species whose data has not yet been restored to the Scroll of Insight's lost compendium. They consist of several Pikku, Vires, a Big Blin, countless Miniblins, and a large swarm of Keese.

Hope is lost. No three warriors can stand against such numbers at once. Link is struck with a tremendous sense of despair and shame for having dragged his companions into this certain doom. "I'm sorry, guys..." he whispers to them. "We can't win this... Save yourselves if you can."

"So you're just going to wimp out?" scoffs Lark, still hoping to prompt the Hylian to use a Flurry Rush before the end. "A real man at least goes down with a fight..!"

"No..." says the Goron, lowering his weapon as he looks around at the enemies' overwhelming numbers. "At this point, we'll just be making things worse for ourselves if we resist. We're standing down..."

Lark is disgusted to hear this. "What?! Come on! Don't tell me you're_!"

 _*Shove!*_

Interrupting his objection, the stone elder pushes the protestant shape-shifter to the ground to join him and Link in their submission. "I said; we're _standing down_ ," he repeats assertively.

The Elite Wolfos smirks in satisfaction. "That's right. Just lay down your weapons where I can see them and we'll bring you in...while inflicting only _mild_ pain..."

A Vire watches the cooperation with disappointment. "Vait... Vhat's _it?!"_ scoffs the bat-like fiend, displaying a strong accent. "I vent through ze trouble of gathering me troops in vecord time to get here...just vor _dis?!_ Your Volfos told me dis vas an _emergency!"_

"Oh, shut up!" snarls the Elite Wolfos indignantly. "I barely understood a word you just said, anyway!"

A Pikku interrupts. "I claim dibs on the captives' pocket money!"

"What?! No you don't!" objects the Wolfos. " _I'm_ the one in charge here! You pawns only get what I choose to allow you— _if_ I choose to even allow you anything at all!"

The eyes of all surrounding monsters lock onto the Wolfos commander. They are not at all flattered.

"Did you just call us... _PAWNS..?!"_ snarls the Pikku.

"Vat's an insult!" hisses the Vire. "You zink you're ze boss of me just because I answered your call vor backup?! Not cool, bro!"

The Big Blin adds a deep growl of disapproval. "Mmmmhhrrr..."

"You _are_ pawns!" barks the Elite Wolfos, displaying his silver emblem to remind the others of his superiority. "In case you haven't noticed; I'm an _Elite!_ Or are you idiots all just too stupid and self-absorbed to see the silver emblem right before your dopey eyes?!"

"Oh?" says the Pikku, unimpressed. "You mean, like...the same ones _WE_ all have?!"

The protesting Pikku, Vire, and Big Blin each point out their own emblems. The Elite Wolfos' eyes widen as he is brought to notice the obvious silver color. "You're... _Elites?"_ says the lupine commander awkwardly, realizing the embarrassing irony.

"No doi," scoffs the Elite Pikku. "Are you just _now_ noticing that?"

"Vhat's da matter?" hisses the Elite Vire. "Blind as a bat or something?!"

"Mmmmhhrrr..." adds the Elite Big Blin, growling deeply.

(In the midst of their arguing, none of the monsters notice as the Goron discretely reaches into his bag...)

Humiliated and aggravated, the Elite Wolfos whispers to one of his own underlings; "You idiots..! You were supposed to request low-ranking troops to work under me...not bring in other Elites that I'll have to split the credit with..!"

The lesser Wolfos shrugs in response. "You wasn't specific..."

"Oh, you're very discrete..." the Elite Pikku says sarcastically.

The Elite Vire rolls his four eyes. "Yes. Ve _totally_ can't hear you vhispering in our midst vight now..."

"Oh, really..?" asks a lesser Vire, sharing not its commander's accent. "I'm all the way over here and I heard it just fine..."

"Vat vas _sarcasm_ , you dolt!" screeches the Elite. "Of course I heard him!"

The Elite Wolfos snarls in irritation. "Ah, whatever! Either way, the credit for this capture still goes to _me!_ I'm the one who tracked these rebels! All you did was show up!"

"Vhat?! Oh no you don't..!" protests the Elite Vire. "You still owe all your success to _me!"_

The Big Blin lets out a deep growl to remind his fellow Elites of his presence. "Mmmmhhrrr..."

"Ahh... And _him_ ," adds the Vire unenthusiastically.

The four Elites continue to bicker in the midst of their minions. Arguments and insults are exchanged between Wolfos, Pikku, and Vire while the Big Blin adds the occasional grunt or growl to voice his own approval or disapproval among the banter. The captured warriors are momentarily forgotten.

Lark scoffs at the sight. _"Tsk!_ That's why you can never station two or more high-ranking monsters at the same location..."

" _Shh!_ Keep it down..." shushes the Goron, concealing a lit match and three round objects beneath his arm. "Now, on my mark...get ready to run for it while I hold 'em off..!"

"Wait... What?" says Lark. But before he or Link can say another word...three lit bombs are sent rolling in different directions into the surrounding monsters' midst!

 _"NOW..!"_

The two humans and the unconscious Zora are all swept into the mighty mountain-dweller's massive arms without warning and tossed high overhead in a single motion. The surrounding monsters can barely react as their would-be captives fly suddenly over their heads as three devastating explosions go off in rapid succession.

 _*KA-BOOM! KA-BOOM! KA-BOOM!*_

Crying out in bewilderment as they are hurled some thirty feet through the air over the monsters and explosions, Link and Lark watch the horizon zip on by beneath them before the call of gravity orders them back down to the hard ground. They both react quickly in their respective ways. Lark changes into a bird and takes to flight just before he would have hit the earth, sparing himself a painful landing. Link protectively clings to the unconscious Zora princess and shields her body with his own from the incoming crash, taking the full impact himself to protect her from further harm.

 _*Crash!*_

"Owwww..." groans the Hylian in pain. Ruto lies on top of him, still out cold and needing to be carried. Link groggily pulls himself up from the dirt as he recovers from the painful crash. Looking up to see Lark land safely in the form of a bird, he cannot help but envy the shape-shifter. "( _Tsk!_ Lucky guy!)" he thinks to himself. "(Having the leisure of turning into a bird like that and coming unscathed out of any fall... What I'd give to be in his position!)"

A similar look of envy reflects from Lark's own eyes as he looks upon the battered Hylian's close proximity with the Zora maiden. "( _Tsk!_ Lucky guy!)" thinks the young miscreant to himself. "(Having the leisure of rolling around with a hot babe in his arms like that and not having to be called out for it... What I'd give to be in his position!)"

The bodies of monsters dead and injured alike are sent flying in all directions from the explosions. Charred Keese rain down from the air. The fiends that escaped the bombs' range are knocked off their feet by the remains of fallen allies scattered from the blasts.

With their enhanced life-force, the four Elites are among the survivors. "What th_?! What just happened?!" the Elite Pikku cries out in bewilderment.

The Elite Vire lies buried beneath a charred carcass that has landed on top of him. "Ohh... I have vallen and I can't get up..."

"Mmmmhhrrr..." groans the Elite Big Blin in pain.

"You idiots..!" grunts the Elite Wolfos, struggling to pull himself to his feet. "They're getting away!"

"Vhat?!" says the Elite Vire, tossing the carcass aside. "After zem..!"

The Goron wastes not a single second. In his following motion, he immediately picks up the two Wolfos spears he had acquired minutes ago and hurls them into a pair of Pikku as they turn to pursue the tossed humans. Both hit their mark. The Fox-men are instantly impaled.

 _*Skewer! Skewer!*_

"GET OUTTA HERE WHILE YOU CAN!" the stone warrior calls out to the boys as he picks up his hammer and easily knocks aside several monsters in a single swing. "KEEP GOIN' AND DON'T LOOK BACK! ...AND DON'T TOUCH MY CART JUST 'CAUSE I'M NOT AROUND! I'M STILL COMING BACK FOR IT!"

"You heard the old guy!" Lark says to Link. "Get up and get moving!"

Link doubts the stone warrior will truly be able to handle this many enemies himself and wishes not to have to abandon his ally but knows he has no choice. Fleeing is the only chance of escaping alive at this moment, and failing to act now while the Goron has selflessly given him the opportunity to do so would only mean letting the latter's sacrifice be for nothing. Although still aching miserably from the crash landing, the Hylian ignores his pain and quickly heaves the unconscious Zora over his back to run her to safety.

Enemies are approaching the humans fast. The Elite Vire and his swarm of Keese and lesser Vires that had survived the explosions swoop in by air while the Elite Pikku and his remaining underlings charge forward on foot. Lark changes back into a bird and takes to flight again while Link can only hope to somehow outrun their pursuers on foot while carrying the dead weight of an unconscious Zora the same size as himself over his shoulders.

 _This is going to be difficult..._

The mighty Goron gets in the monsters' way. He intercepts a Pikku with another swing of his hammer, effortlessly knocking the vulpine bandit far over the horizon.

 _*Wham!*_

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGHHHH..!" cries the unfortunate Pikku deliriously as it is sent flying into the night sky. "I CAN SEE MY HOUSE FROM HEEEEEERE..! —Wait... That's not my house... I don't even _have_ a house! Who's house is that? THAT'S A NICE HOUSE..!"

The Elite Pikku stops before the intercepting Goron with absolute hatred. "Split up!" he orders to his minions. "You men go after the runaways! This one is _mine!"_

Five lesser Pikku continue after the fleeing humans, though a few remain to assist their commander. The three remaining Elites and their followers surround the Goron as the Vire and his Keese disappear into the night after the runaways.

"You'll regret pulling those stunts, Goron!" says the Elite Pikku.

"You have no idea who you're messing with!" snarls the Elite Wolfos.

"Mmmmhhrrr..." adds the Big Blin.

The Goron, however, remains confident as he fights on. "No..." he smirks before rolling into a ball and charging through the crowd, bowling over a few Miniblins in the process. Once he has cleared some space between himself and his adversaries, he stops to pull out a dark mask that he has kept concealed until now. "It's _YOU_ who don't know who _you're_ messing with!"

The monsters heed not his words and proceed to charge after him.

...Until he promptly puts the mask over his face.

 _*Poof!*_

"Whoa! What th_?!" yelps the Elite Wolfos in shock.

Flames envelope the Goron's body as he is magically transfigured before their eyes. His skin has become dark as coal; his hair and beard are lit aflame; veins of boiling magma flow visibly between the crags of his stony shell; his eyes glow menacingly through the peepholes on the enchanted mask he dons.

The Elite Pikku freezes in his tracks. He recognizes the Goron's transfigured form.

And is filled with dread by the mere sight of it.

"Wh-what..?!" stutters the terrified fox-man. "N-no way! He's... He's_?!"

"THAT'S RIGHT..." booms the Goron's voice in an unnatural tone. "THE RENEGADE OF DEATH MOUNTAIN... THE MASKED DEMON OF FIERY DOOM... THE LIVING VOLCANO OF DESTRUCTION... I AM...THE INFAMOUS...THE DREADED...THE ONE AND ONLY..."

He crashes his burning fist into the ground, unleashing a devastating inferno that instantly burns several surrounding monsters into a crisp.

 _*Fwoom!*_

"...THE MURDEROUS _ROCK ROGUE!"_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! ...And I am sooooo sorry about how long it took me to get this chapter done! I've been focusing more on some other projects of mine, and so I had barely even touched this story in these past weeks at all (but on the plus side; I did at least make a decent amount of progress on those other projects during that time, so I can't say I entirely regret it).**

 **I'm trying to improve my workflow to convert this story into a YouTube project, which should hopefully be ready to launch sometime this Spring or so, but that means less time to spend on this current version of it, and I also have a few other stories that I intend to get started in the near future, so I unfortunately can't promise that this slower update rate will pick up again very soon, but I _do_ promise that I'll at least make sure to see this project through to the end. ...however long that may take. ^_^'**

 **Anyway, in case anyone doesn't remember who the 'Rock Rogue' was; he's an original concept/character for this story who was foreshadowed way back in Chapter 4-12 via a wanted poster that Link had picked up shortly after his battle with the Lynel.**


	91. 9-9 Wrath of the Rock Rogue

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 9: It's Dangerous to Go Alone_

 **Chapter 9** **  
** _Wrath of the Rock Rogue_

Fire...

It is all they see. All they feel...

Until the crushing embrace of death immediately follows.

One after another, the monsters fall to fire and death in rapid succession. In spite of their great advantage in numbers, none can come close to withstanding the awful might of the infernal Goron before them.

"Who _is_ this pyromaniac?!" says the Elite Wolfos in panic, just narrowly avoiding being engulfed in a raging inferno.

"Are you serious?!" says the Elite Pikku in disbelief. "That's the dastardly Rock Rogue! Only one of the most deadly outlaws in all of Hyrule! And one of Master Crow's old partners in crime!"

"Then why isn't he on our side?!" yelps the Wolfos, struggling to keep his distance from the all-consuming flames.

"BECAUSE YOU DEVASTATI LOT ARE A DISGRACE EVEN TO ME!" booms the Rock Rogue's demonic voice. He levitates a few inches off the ground, wreathed in a blazing aura of fire. "I'D NEVER STOOP TO _YOUR_ LOW! AND I REFUSE TO EVER WORK WITH THAT BACKSTABBING PUNK CROW AGAIN! THE ROCK ROGUE WORKS ALONE NOW!"

The flaming warrior projects a fireball from his fist, aiming for the Elite Wolfos.

 _*Fwoom!*_

The intended target quickly ducks out of the way just in the nick of time. The projectile instead hits the Elite Pikku, sending him flying. "Yowch! My fur! My beautiful fur!"

Fear for his own life takes seize of the Elite Wolfos as he watches his vulpine ally unwillingly take the fiery blow. Caring only for his own well-being and not of his comrades, the cowardly lupine hastily withdraws from battle-range before he is next. "That enchanted mask..." he mutters to himself once at a relatively safe distance from Goron fire. "I don't think even Alpha Huntress could withstand that thing's firepower..!"

Miniblins surround the Rock Rogue. They pile upon him in a simultaneous group-attack. "Hiyeahhhh..!"

Only to be incinerated on contact.

 _*Fwoom!*_

"...Hi-YAAAAAAAHH!"

His weaker minions falling by the landfill, the Elite Big Blin channels his power. "Mmmmhhrrr..." The silver emblem on his shoulder gleaming ablaze, he activates a portal to summon two subordinate Big Blins to his side. Readying their spiked clubs, the three heavyweights gang up to attack the fiery Goron from different directions.

The Rock Rogue is fazed not. With unnaturally fast reflexes surpassing the speed of his kind, he throws his hammer straight into the forehead of the Elite, knocking him down and out of the way, before quickly ramming himself backwards into one of the lesser Big Blins. He then follows up with a judo throw, lifting the overgrown fiend with super-strength and tossing it onto the other. Both Big Blins topple to the ground in flames.

 _*Thud!*_

The Rock Rogue uses his power to rise higher into the air. Curling into a ball, he comes crashing down directly upon the two Blins like a flaming meteor. The impact creates a devastating shockwave incinerating every lowly monster unfortunate enough to come within ten feet of his landing radius.

 _*Ka-boom!*_

Both of the lesser Big Blins perish from the impact, as do multiple Miniblins caught in the blast. The Elite survives due to his enhanced life-force and for being positioned off to the side of the Goron's landing instead of directly beneath it, though he is badly burned from the fiery shockwave and knocked aside. "Mmmmhhrrr..." he groans in pain.

"WHERE THOSE SUPPOSED TO BE YOUR _BEST_ MINIONS?!" the Rock Rogue taunts menacingly. "HOW PATHETIC! BUT MAYBE _I_ CAN PUT THEM TO BETTER USE..." Dark flames form between his charcoal-black hands and are projected towards the withering carcasses of the fallen Big Blins.

Reanimating them.

The Elite Wofos looks on in disbelief. " _Necromancy?!_ You gotta be kidding me!"

Heavily burnt, the Elite Pikku limps over in pain. "We seriously... _*cough*_...don't get paid enough for this kind of work..!"

"Wait..." says the Wolfos. "You mean you get _paid?!"_

The last of their flesh already burned away and replaced with dark fire, two Big Blin skeletons wreathed in cursed flame rise to their feet. Deprived now of even what little capacity for thought and free will the soulless monsters ever had, they turn against their living allies as the Rock Rogue's fiery puppets of destruction. They bat aside every monster in sight with their burning clubs while spreading their cursed flames onto those they slay. The monsters defeated are then infected by the cursed flames as well, causing their carcasses to immediately reanimate and join their Goron puppeteer's undead army in the fight against their own.

The Elite monsters are thrown into panic. Not only are they rapidly losing the few soldiers they have left, but with each one lost for them is one more gained for their enemy. They find themselves pushed back by their own forces whom they can no longer control.

The Elite Pikku is fending off two of his own fallen minions. He activates his silver emblem to try and strike them down.

 _*Gleam!*_

But it is no use. He is incapable of manipulating their life-force against them when they no longer have any. "My power's void on these zombies!" the panicked fox-man exclaims in between cutting down the undead turncoats manually with his blade. "I can't even seize control of their emblems!"

The Elite Wolfos struggles to fend off multiple attacks himself. "We gotta take him down before this gets any worse..!"

But worse it gets. The living monsters are soon outnumbered by the reanimated dead. The Elites are quickly surrounded and cornered by what was once their own underlings just mere minutes ago.

Several undead Miniblins pile aggressively onto their former commander. The Elite Big Blin crushes them rapidly, putting up the best fight out of all the remaining monsters, but is overwhelmed by their numbers and still struggling enough just to stand as he endures many fiery pitchforks being jabbed into his flesh like a swarm of biting ants.

"IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?!" taunts the Rock Rogue to his falling enemies, projecting fireballs at them from his palms as he approaches. "I WAS EXPECTING A _CHALLENGE!"_

The two lesser Big Blins target their former leader. Fiery eyes bearing no recollection, the skeletal puppets beat down on the Elite with their burning clubs.

 _*Wham! Wham!*_

Attacked brutally from all directions by his own henchmen, helpless to get back to his feet, the Elite Big Blin can fight no longer. Hatred still burning in his eyes, but no strength remaining to carry out his desired vengeance with, the brute reluctantly braces himself for the final blow about to come. "Mmmmhhrrr..."

His few remaining enemies all exactly where he wants them, the mighty Rock Rogue is ready to finish them off. "YOU'RE ALL WEAKLINGS! AND THIS IS THE PRICE YOU PAY...FOR BEING WEAK!" His arms spread wide above his head, he begins to generate a massive ball of fire between them to send crashing down upon the weakened monsters. "ENJOY YOUR FIERY GRAVE, YOU PATHETIC_ _GAH..?!"_

 _*Thud!*_

The infernal Goron has dropped suddenly to the ground. The fireball he was generating has extinguished before completion. He holds his head in sudden pain. "N-NO... NOT NOW..!"

His undead army has suddenly grown weak. The three Elite monsters and their very few surviving minions break free and begin to fight back once again.

The Rock Rogue's vision blurs by the second. His body is shaking, his head is pounding hard. To any onlooker, it would appear as though he is having a mere seizure, but a mere seizure this is not. It never was. In spite of the presumption of previous witnesses to these occurrences, he has no history of experiencing seizures.

A voice that only he can hear—a dreaded voice he is all too familiar with—echos eerily in his mind;

 _"(...Roooooogue... Rock...Rogue...)"_

"NO... S-STOP..." the Rock Rogue groans in protest, his own voice beginning to show strain.

 _"(You have not answered me in far too long, Rock Rogue...)"_ the haunting voice continues to harass, delivering much pressure and pain onto the stone warrior's aching head. _"(Why do you ignore...your master's call..?)"_

"G-GET OUT..." cries the tormented Goron weakly.

 _"(Your quota...is long overdue...)"_

"GET OUTTA MY HEAD..!"

 _"(My patience has worn thin...)"_

"LEAVE...ME...ALONE..!"

 _"(How long, Rock Rogue..? How long will you keep your master waiting..?!)"_

The pressure in the Rock Rogue's head is far too great to bear. He drops helplessly to his knees, frothing at the mouth and shaking violently. The surrounding monsters know not what has come over him, but his undead army has finally ceased attack due to their puppeteer's loss of focus.

The Elite Wolfos sees his opportunity at last.

 _"(Do not forget your place, my puppet...)"_ taunts the voice in the Goron's head. _"(All that you have... All that you are... You owe it...to ME..! And your debt only continues to grow... DO NOT NEGLECT MY DEMANDS..!)"_

The Rock Rogue has become completely paralyzed. Try though he may to break free of this torturous trance, he can neither act nor think. His senses are numb and null to the world around him.

Until the sharp sting of an icy battle-ax breaks his trance.

 _*Wham!*_

The Elite Wolfos has struck him from behind. The frigid magic of the beast's weapon has extinguished the infernal Goron's fiery aura. The other monsters still alive quickly pile on and take him down. In mere seconds, the proud Rock Rogue lies unconscious on the ground, causing the cursed fire controlling the undead army to go out without his control. His puppet soldiers collapse as lifeless skeletons, deprived now of their source.

"Finally..!" says the Elite Pikku, heavily injured but still alive. "We defeated the great Rock Rogue! That's a feat worthy of a Champion!"

"Mmmmhhrrr..." groans the Elite Big Blin, wincing from his severe burns.

"Aw, shut up!" says the Pikku. "I got burnt, too, didn't I?! Now quit complaining and get those shackles on this guy before he wakes up!"

The Elite Wolfos remains silent. He stares down at the malefic mask upon the unconscious Goron's face before slowly removing it, reverting the former wearer back to normal. Thoughts of the immense power this artifact just displayed fill the beast's head. With something as powerful as this in his possession, he could surely surpass the might of even the Devastati's revered Champions.

And what is to stop him?

"Hey!" says the Pikku. "Quit standin' around and let's get this prisoner delivered to Master Kazama! We've got a promotion ahead of us!"

"No..." sneers the Wolfos, a sinister tone in his voice. " _I'VE_ got a promotion ahead..!"

The Pikku and Big Blin give him a glare. "What'd you say..?!" snarls the former.

"Mmmmhhrrr..." growls the latter.

 _*Poof!*_

The Wolfos has placed the mask on his own face. His fur now blazes aflame as an aura of fire surrounds him as it did the Rock Rogue a mere moment ago. He turns to face his fellow Elites with a dastardly smirk. "ALLOW ME TO MAKE IT CLEAR FOR YOU..." his voice booms demonically, throwing the others into panic.

 _*Fwoom!*_

A fireball is projected towards the Pikku. With a final cry of pain, the fox-man is utterly incinerated.

" _I'M_ THE SOLE VICTOR OF THIS BATTLE!" says the flaming Wolfos, generating dark fire between his paws. "AND I SHARE MY GLORY WITH _NO ONE!"_

In spite of the fresh wounds he is still covered in, the Big Blin rises to fight. "Mmmmhhrrr..." He is about to rush upon the traitor, but the Wolfos projects the dark flames to reanimate the fallen once again. The already-injured Blin finds himself face-to-face yet again with an army of flaming skeletons ganging up to slaughter him. His eyes widen in terror as he realizes his imminent demise. "Mommy..."

 _*Pow! Pow! Pow!*_

The Wolfos smirks in satisfaction as he watches his undead army beat the other Elite helplessly to death. Never before has he felt such great power at his disposal.

A few surviving Miniblins try to attack him, but he simply activates his silver emblem to rob them of their remaining life-force, killing them all while simultaneously revitalizing himself. He then spreads his cursed flames onto their withering carcasses, reanimating them to join his new army of fiery puppets along with their former leader.

"NOW THEN..." he says to his own surviving henchmen, who only consist of two lesser Wolfos suffering many minor injuries. "SEE TO IT THAT THE ROCK ROGUE IS SHACKLED AND GUARDED UNTIL I'M READY TO DELIVER HIM PERSONALLY TO MASTER KAZAMA. IN THE MEANTIME..."

He looks with satisfaction upon his new skeletal army of various undead monsters, including the reanimated remains of his fellow Elites now under his command. His gaze then trails off into the direction Link and Lark had fled with the unconscious Zora princess in custody, pursued by the Elite Vire and his swarm of Keese.

"...MY NEW ARMY AND I HAVE ANOTHER HUNT TO FINISH!"

* * *

End of Episode 9: It's Dangerous to Go Alone _  
_To be continued in Episode 10:  
 _ **Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolfos?**_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! ...Oof. I did NOT mean for this to happen, but once again, this 'episode' was ending up too long to fit in all the action I had planned, and so I'll have to continue it AGAIN in the next one! -_- Ugh... I reeeeally hate the way the pace of this fanfiction is turning out and am coming to regret so many things. But I've already come this far and I'm going to keep going.** **_(Why didn't I just write a normal fanfic instead of planning out an entire series like this?)_**

 **As you can see; the name of the next 'episode' is that of what the previous one was initially called. That's because all three of these were originally only supposed to be just one episode, but things kinda got out of hand as I came up with new ideas while writing it, and the actual Wolfos battle had to be extended up till here... I'm terrible at staying on script!**


	92. 10-1 Gone Batty

~SilentN

 **The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit** **  
** _Episode 10: Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolfos?_

 _The Elite Wolfos has taken down the mighty Rock Rogue and claimed his infernal power for his own. With deadly hellfire and an army of the undead now under his command, the lupine warrior has instantly become more dangerous than ever, making of himself a threat even to his own allies of the Devastati. Blazing out of control, can anyone put a stop to this beast's fiery rampage?_

* * *

 **Chapter 1** **  
** _Gone Batty_

A word from the Gossip Stones' Rumor Network:

 _Boing! Boing! We see all, we know all... Nothing escapes the eyes of the Gossip Stones! We've got all sorts of juicy info to share! And without a care in the world how personal it is and/or whether or not it really ought to be kept private! We pick up some gossip; we share it with every random passerby who comes our way! That's the joyous life of a Gossip Stone!_

 _(And yet it seems like most people just don't even care to listen to what we have to tell them. They just walk on by, barely even giving us so much as a glance, and go on treating us like we're just some lifeless structures standing around in the background for mere decoration... They act as if they can't even hear telepathy or something! Tsk! How rude!)_

 _Anyway, today we've got ourselves a hot rumor about one of the top-dogs in some twisted cult known as the Devastati: Master Crow!_

 _(Wait... Is that really his name?_ _Seriously?!_ _What kind of weirdo names their kid "Crow"?!_ _—_ _Then again, I guess I've heard worse. One of my buddies once told me about a guy named "Error", of all things... Sheesh! What cruel parents!)_

 _So, about this Crow dude... They say he's a master thief and unparalleled warrior, highly skilled in both magic and swordsmanship alike (and also quite popular with the ladies, apparently). Being half-Hylian and half-Sheikah, he can use various magic from both races_ _—even having this crazy ability to change into an ACTUAL crow at will_ _—_ _and has mastered a large arsenal of magic-spells and hidden skills. Although I'm no fan of bad guys like him, I do have to admit: it's pretty impressive just how much he's been able to accomplish in his time._

 _But here's the juicy part: apparently, he owes half of his success to a certain item he inherited from his mother... t_ _he Takkuri Talisman!_

 _This enchanted thingamajig is whispered to house the spirit of a deceased Takkuri bird that was used by thieves to steal from unwary travelers in the past. In its current state, the bird can no longer plunder physical objects...but it instead can be used to steal magical abilities from the perishing!_

 _Here's how it works; if someone else has a power that Crow wants for himself, he just has to wait for them to execute it, kill them shortly after (he's a bad guy; he'd do such a thing), and then send the Takkuri's spirit to snatch the power away from the fallen victim as their soul departs from their dead body! A pretty vile and gruesome tactic for sure, but it's acquired him many powers over the years with little effort of his own. (Dirty cheater!)_

 _Fortunately, he hasn't used it in more than a decade now. More specifically: he can't! Some ten years ago, a young apprentice of his had rebelled against him at the age of fourteen and stole the talisman for himself. (Sneaky kid!) The Devastati still has yet to recover it, though the rebellious apprentice who took off with it is rumored to be out making mischief of his own..._

 _—_ _Well, that's it for today's gossip! Tune in next time to the Gossip Stones' Rumor Network for more juicy rumors waiting to be shared! And now I'd like to offer a word from our __sponsor!_

 _...If we had one._

* * *

"GET OUTTA HERE WHILE YOU CAN!" the Goron calls out loudly to the boys as he picks up his hammer and easily knocks aside several monsters in a single swing. "KEEP GOIN' AND DON'T LOOK BACK! ...AND DON'T TOUCH MY CART JUST 'CAUSE I'M NOT AROUND! I'M STILL COMING BACK FOR IT!"

"You heard the old guy!" Lark says to Link. "Get up and get moving!"

Although reluctant to have to leave an ally behind, Link complies without hesitation and quickly heaves the unconscious Princess Ruto over his back to run her to safety. His own body is still aching miserably from the crash-landing but he ignores it and keeps moving, daring not to even look back at the ongoing battle behind him. The flapping sound of Keese and Vire wings approaching fast is all the proof he needs to know that delaying for even a single second will most certainly hold undesirable consequences.

Lark flies on ahead in the form of a bird. Although faster than the Keese, his poor night-vision puts him at a great disadvantage against his nocturnal pursuers: whereas they can use echolocation to navigate with ease, he is flying blindly through the night.

Flame-spear in hand, the Elite Vire flies after the boys with sheer bloodlust burning in his four eyes. "Ahahahah! Now _zis_ is more like it!" the fiend cackles with glee. "Ze old Bat-and-Mouse game is vhat I live for! And I like to play it _dirty..._ Let's-a _heat_ zings up, baby!"

 _*Fwoom!*_

Fire is spewed into the air. Several Keese swoop in to absorb it, setting themselves literally aflame for battle.

Unable to adequately outmaneuver his aerial pursuers in the dark, Lark is quickly overwhelmed by the fiery Keese swarming around him. Their flames, they lick at his bird feathers. He changes back into a human in midair to slash the bat-like monsters down with his Kunai as they close in around him.

 _*Slice!*_

A single Keese is cut in two, but not without cost to its slayer.

"Gah..!" Lark cries out in pain. The short reach of his Kunai had exposed his hand to the flames engulfing his target upon attacking. He drops his Kunai in recoil and is unable to change back into a bird in time before hitting the ground.

 _*Thud!*_

Link, struggling enough already to dodge incoming Keese while running with an unconscious Zora on his back, beholds as enemies swoop down to attack Lark before he can recover. Dropping Ruto as gently as he can to the ground in the heat of the moment without losing momentum, the Hylian throws himself protectively in front of his downed ally and rapidly slashes the Keese with his sword before they can land another blow.

 _*Slash! Slash! Slash!*_

A lesser Vire swoops in to attack Link from behind while he fends off the weaker Keese. Its forked spear is pointed towards the back of the Hylian's neck for a fatal blow.

 _*Whoosh!*_

Lark reacts within the two seconds of time Link has bought for him to recover. Taking the Kunai in his other hand, he throws it directly into the attacker's face just in the nick of time.

 _*Stab!*_

The Vire screeches out in pain, missing its target and alerting Link to its presence just as it comes into reach. The Hylian swiftly follows up with a spin-attack to cut the fiend in two. "Hyeah!"

 _*Slash!*_

The two parts of the bisected Vire split into a pair of separate Keese no more powerful than the rest in the swarm. Lark collects the Vire's own spear to better arm himself and rejoin the battle. The surrounding swarm of Keese begin to scatter as the boys rapidly fend them off together, fighting back-to-back with sword and spear.

"You okay?" Link asks his comrade in between swings, taking not his eyes off the attacking swarm.

Lark remains focused on the battle. "Look out!" he alerts as the Elite Vire swoops overhead.

Inhaling deeply, the bat-like hellion generates a blazing fireball to spew down upon the boys from his gaping mouth. "Take zis, you punks!"

 _*Fwoom!*_

Link reacts quickly. Leaping in front of the incoming attack, he parries it with a well-timed swing of his shield to return the projectile to its sender, as he learned to do from training under Sir Pent.

 _*Pow!*_

The countermove is pulled off perfectly. The Elite Vire takes his own fireball to the face and is sent crashing onto the ground. "OW! MY EYEBALL..!" he screeches loudly in agony. "I _LOVED_ ZAT EYEBALL!"

Although their most dangerous foe is temporarily down, the boys have not the opportunity to finish him off. The surrounding Keese are joined by two more Vires and swoop around to resume their attack after retaking formation. Additionally, five Pikkus have quickly caught up and are approaching fast. The two humans leap out of the path of the incoming swarm, cutting a few Keese down as they pass, and turn around to run from this disadvantageous position.

Link rushes to recollect Ruto. Another Vire gets in his way. It stands over her unconscious form with its spear directed at the Hylian, preventing him from coming any closer.

Lark is already on the case. He tosses his own spear collected from the previous Vire like a javelin into the obstructing hellion's face.

 _*Stab!*_

The Vire screeches in pain. Link seizes the moment to slash his foe in two while it is stunned, splitting it into a pair of weak Keese that timidly scatter out of his way. Lark then calls out to the flying swarm to draw them away from the Hylian:

"Catch me if you can, you overgrown mosquitoes!"

Signaling to with Link a quick nod, the mischievous shape-shifter changes back into a bird again and takes to flight. His foes distracted, Link cuts down a few more Keese in the way before heaving the unconscious Zora over his shoulders once more and running in the opposite direction with her, praying desperately that he can somehow outrun the incoming Pikkus long enough to find a more advantageous position to combat them.

The Elite Vire rises back into flight, hissing angrily. "Leave ze green guy to ze Pikkus!" he commands his swarm. "He von't be getting var! But all of you; GET ZAT BIRD BEVORE HE EZCAPES!"

The diabolic bats give chase, putting their whole focus on the fleeing bird. Although he still can see nary a thing with his avian vision in the dark, Lark needs only to keep flying for now. His current goal is not to combat them; it is merely to draw the aerial enemies away from Link and Ruto so that the former can combat the Pikkus without interference.

"(I gotta make sure this idiot stays alive...)" the shape-shifter thinks to himself while flying. "(Everything will be for nothing if he dies without doing at least _one_ Flurry Rush!)"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! And kudos to anyone who actually recognized the subtle Crash Bandicoot reference to be found in this chapter. LOL**


	93. 10-2 Divide and Conquer

_The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit, Episode 10: Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolfos?_

 **Chapter 2** **  
** _Divide and_ _Conquer_

Link runs as fast as his legs can carry him with the weight of the unconscious Zora over his shoulders.

Which is not very fast.

Weighed down miserably, he finds the Pikkus are gaining ground on him by the second. He cannot stay ahead for much longer, but neither can he hope to single-handedly combat all five of the fox-men at once, as he possesses neither the super-strength of a Goron nor the magical abilities of someone like Ruto or Lark needed to fight against multiple opponents on equal footing like his allies can. "We're dead..." he whimpers while running. "We are _so_ , so dead..!"

 _"(Despair not, child...)"_ the voice of Tricela echos in his mind. _"(Your enemies are powerful only when united... Divide them...and they can be conquered.)"_

"And how am I supposed to do _THAT?!"_ says a frantic Link, caring not how crazy he must look seemingly talking to himself. "My hands are full, and I'm at a complete disadvantage here!"

Tricela answers simply: _"(Then use your burden not as a disadvantage...but as an advantage.)"_

Link briefly wonders what she means, but the following words called out by one of the Pikkus catching up gives him an idea: "Give up, you furless punk! You know you can't save yourself _and_ the Zora!"

The Hylian smirks. "Then choose wisely..!" he calls back to them before tossing Ruto away, much to the surprise of all.

 _*Thud!*_

She lands much more roughly than he would have ever preferred (not that tossing her aside was ever his preferred choice of action in the first place), albeit probably not as rough as how the Goron had initially handled her. With the extra weight lifted from his shoulders, the Hylian is now able to run at about the same speed as his pursuers once again. "It's either me or the princess!" he calls back to them while running ahead. "You can't catch us both!"

The five Pikkus briefly lose pace in a baffled instant of hesitation, unsure whether to stop to collect the abandoned Zora or continue pursuit of the escaping Hylian. "You two grab the Zora!" says one to the others, returning to the pursuit. "We'll get the sneaky coward!"

The five promptly split up as proposed. Three remain on the chase while two stay behind to secure the catch that they have. "Uh... I guess we just hold onto her until the others get back?" says one of the two left behind to the other, still a little baffled at the unexpected turn of events.

"Sheesh! I can't believe that punk just abandoned a princess to save himself!" the other scoffs in disgust. "Whatever happened to _chivalry?!"_

"I know, right?" agrees the previous one. "Kids these days... They're turning out as bad as _WE_ are!"

"I don't think I like the competition..." huffs the second. "He's totally ripping off our style!"

With only three enemies now following and his speed restored, Link's odds have already improved greatly, though he will need to divide his pursuers further yet if before he can combat them. The Pikkus chase after him at a roughly equal pace; they are no longer gaining ground so rapidly, but neither is he getting ahead. He runs towards the nearby fence and jumps it. The agitated fox-men follow in pursuit.

"You can't run forever, coward!" one of them calls out. "And we're not turning back until you're in custody!"

Link yells back to them; "You would if you knew what's good for you..!"

"Ha! And what's _that_ supposed to mean?!" sneers the Pikku in doubt. "You think you're such a lone threat to us?!"

"No," says Link, pointing as he runs. "But _he_ is..!"

"Who..?"

" _MOOOOOOOO..!"_

The Pikkus jolt as the sudden bellow rings out. They turn to see the angry bull Bruno, who has taken not too kindly to the fox-men's invasion of his territory, charging straight towards them with horns sharp and nostrils flaring. His hooves beat upon the ground like thunder in his wrathful approach.

 _*Gallop! Gallop! Gallop!*_

The vulpine bandits' eyes widen in absolute terror. " _WHOA!_ TURN BACK! TURN BACK!" they scream in panic, turning tail to make a frantic run back towards the fence.

It is futile. The massive beast rapidly gains ground on them with every stride. His horn soon leaves its mark in the first Pikku's rear, prompting the hellion to let out a rather unmanly scream in a pitch higher than he ever knew himself capable of, and the other two are quickly met with the same fate and trampled over.

 _*Trample! Trample! Trample!*_

They try to fight back with their weapons but the bull is aided from afar by Link and his bow, piercing them with arrows as they try to counterattack. The wounded fox-men are finished beneath Bruno's mighty hooves, flattened into hairy pancakes you would not want for breakfast even if served with the most delicious of toppings. Their last words prove difficult to make out among their overlapping shouts of panic and pain, but sound like something along the lines of never eating beef again.

Link takes the opportunity to scan the Pikkus with the Scroll of Insight from a safe distance during their final seconds of living, successfully restoring their entry to the compendium so that it can track their kind again later. The restored data reads as follows;

 _"Pikku:  
Said to be the reincarnation of a human-thief cursed for their greed, the Pikku has lost whatever little sense of reason and humanity it once possessed in its former life and retains only its_ _skills used for thieving and_ _unrelenting lust for loot. Its perpetual greed knows no bounds, and the Pikku will not hesitate to relentlessly chase down and kill every traveler it sees in hopes of acquiring even a small plunder."_

Pausing briefly to catch a quick breath again before he returns to the aid of his allies, Link examines the ongoing activity on the scroll's map. Much to his relief, Lark, Ruto, and even the Goron can all still be monitored by the artifact's magic, meaning that none have been killed so far. Putting the scroll away, the Hylian gives Bruno a quick pat and looks to the fallen Pikkus' weapons on the ground: two catch-poles and a falchion. They are not the safest things to leave laying out in the pasture, and the Goron will most likely want them as spoils from the battle to add to his wares if he survives this ordeal, so Link quickly collects them in his arms as he turns to leave the pasture and return to the ongoing battle.

Jumping back over the fence again, he makes his way hastily back to where he had 'abandoned' Ruto to divert the Pikkus' attention, determined to recover her before they can carry her away. He finds them where he left them. The two Pikkus see him approaching.

"Hm? Hey, the brat's back!" says one. "But where are the other guys?"

"Who cares?!" says the other. "Let's get him!"

They rush in on the Hylian. He draws his bow and quickly shoots one in the head with an arrow.

 _*Thwack!*_

The first Pikku is down, but the other is nearly upon him. Link drops his bow and seizes the incoming fox-bandit by the neck using one of the catch-poles collected from the previous enemies trampled by Bruno.

 _*Grab!*_

The Pikku yelps as the iron barbs poke into its neck. Having his foe ensnared at the other end of the pole, Link twists the rod to pin the vulpine fiend to the ground from a safe distance. He then steps inward, pinning down his foe's sword-arm beneath his foot so it cannot counterattack, and then thrusts his own sword into the Pikku's skull while it is trapped.

Killing it.

 _*Stab!*_

Using up most of its remaining life-force to recover from the arrow-wound, the other Pikku rises back to its feet. Hatred burning in its eyes, the hellion rushes furiously upon Link with its falchion.

The Hylian leaps back to avoid the blow. He uses the catch-pole in his right hand to seize the surviving Pikku by the wrist that holds its sword before stepping in to strike with his own using his left hand.

 _*Slash!*_

The Pikku is decapitated. Its headless body drops to the ground and begins to wither into black embers.

 _"Well done, child,"_ Tricela says to Link. _"But before you deliver dear Ruto for treatment...your other ally may first need assistance..."_

The Hylian looks to see Lark still flying blindly in the moonlight, swerving unpredictably to evade fireballs projected his way while being relentlessly pursued by the Elite Vire and his swarm. Even without being able to see clearly where he is going, the shape-shifter has had enough past experience with Keese to predict their patterns of attack and avoid being hit, but the bat-like hellions are gradually catching on to his own flight patterns and improving their aim.

He cannot keep this up much longer.

Having no further use for the catch-pole against these aerial enemies, Link discards it and recollects his bow. He sprints after the flying swarm, putting a safe distance between himself and the unconscious Ruto so that she will not be trampled on during the fight, and calls out to his ally while waving a Pikku falchion in his hand; "LARK! OVER HERE..!"

Lark changes course and swoops back towards Link, the Keese and Vires following in pursuit. The Hylian tosses the falchion ahead for his under-equipped ally to collect. It lands on the ground where Lark is swooping in for landing.

 _*Clang!*_

The shape-shifter changes back into a human and snatches up the blade upon returning to the ground, immediately following up with a spin attack to cut down some Keese as they close in on him.

 _*Slash!*_

"Now _that's_ more like it!" says Lark with satisfaction, pleased to be done with acting as a diversion and now properly equipped for battle once again. "Now buy me some time!"

Link fends of the attacking swarm with sword and shield as Lark prepares to execute his best move. Keese are slashed, fireballs are blocked, and wind begins to stir around Lark as he channels his energy through the falchion's blade while Link defends him.

The attack is ready.

"NOW!" cries Lark as he executes, prompting Link to leap out of the way of the devastating move;

 _The Hurricane Spin-Attack!_

Lark spins forward with the power of a tornado guiding his blade. Enemies are pulled into the vortex generated around him and sliced in two. Severed Keese wings are sent flying in all directions in his wake.

 _*WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH..!*_

The Elite Vire looks around at the aftermath, somewhat dumbfounded. Most of his swarm has just been obliterated right before his eyes. "Vell..." he says awkwardly. "Zat didn't qvite go as I had in my head..."

The number of enemies at last reduced enough for a relatively fair fight, Link stands before the fiend with a battle-ready stance and determination raging in his eyes.

Lark groggily steps up beside him, terribly dizzy from the aftermath of his attack, but still maintaining his confident composure. "Piece...of...cake..." he says with a smirk, trying to hide the great effort he is putting into keeping his supper from making a second coming.

The Elite Vire grips his Flame-spear and gazes upon the humans with newfound rage. "So _zat's_ ze vay you vant to play it, do you?" he hisses angrily. "Zen I guess it's time vor me to get _serious!"_

The few remaining Keese gather around their leader. He spews more fire into the air for them to absorb so that not a single one is left non-aflame, enabling the fiery Keese to act as a flaming barrier to shield him.

"It is on," the Vire sneers maniacally. "...Like Donkey Kong!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! And yes; the entire reason I had created Bruno back in Episode 8 was specifically for the sake of having a scene like this where Link lures the enemy into his territory to be trampled. LOL**

 **Also, I'd like to point out that that ending line was (in addition to just being humorous) partly intended as a tribute to the battle to rescue Princess Zelda from the Vire in a linked game of _Oracle of Ages,_ which plays out in-game as a sort of Donkey Kong parody itself that Nintendo and Capcom had included. I couldn't resist making the reference. XD**


End file.
